Nigeria will offer a 12.7-billion naira ($41.6-million) mining contract to eight companies in exploration and consultancy, its junior mining minister said on Wednesday, adding both foreign and local firms were encouraged to participate. Nigeria's economy, one of Africa's largest, has been built largely on its rich crude oil reserves, leaving other sectors to stagnate. In an attempt to diversify, President Muhammadu Buhari's administration is now seeking to build up other sectors, including mining, though results have been mixed, according to economic data.Read full news