Geological agency says the light seismic event has completely subsided but wants more monitoring stations before a bigger one strikes.
The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory that the earth tremor recorded in parts of Abuja on 4 August poses no threat to lives or property and has completely subsided.
The tremor, less than one kilometre deep, lasted about five seconds and was felt across several buildings in the city.
Following the incident, Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, who was in Washington DC at the time engaging American investors on joint venture proposals in the solid minerals sector, directed the NGSA to provide hourly updates on seismic developments.
What the NGSA’s monitoring found
Speaking at a technical press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Olusegun Ige, Director-General of the NGSA, said the agency’s seismic monitoring station in Utako detected the tremor at 11:23:27am on 4 August, propagating across a distance of about four kilometres.
He classified it as a “light event” measuring I to II on the Mercalli Intensity Scale, a low-energy, transient micro-event characterised by low amplitude and very short duration.
“Our message to residents of Abuja is clear: there is no cause for alarm. The tremor was a very low-energy, isolated event, and our monitoring has confirmed that the seismic activity has completely subsided,” he said.
Ige said the agency continued monitoring the area for more than five days after the tremor, with waveform records showing only baseline seismic noise and no evidence of continued activity.
The NGSA also conducted physical assessments at locations where the tremor was reportedly felt, including the Defence Intelligence Agency facility at Mambila Barracks in Asokoro, NNPC Towers, and selected buildings within the Central Business District, finding no structural damage, injury or serious discomfort attributable to the event.
“We have combined instrumental monitoring with physical assessment on the ground. The evidence before us shows that there is no ongoing seismic threat and no structural damage arising from this event,” he said.
Why NGSA says a bigger earthquake isn’t imminent
The agency said preliminary geological analysis suggested the tremor may have resulted from the release of accumulated stress within the earth’s crust through existing geological structures.
Ige explained that although Nigeria does not sit along a major active tectonic plate boundary, geological stresses can occasionally be released through existing fault systems, producing localised seismic events.
“The fact that a tremor was felt does not mean that a destructive earthquake is imminent. What matters is the nature and energy of the event. In this case, the energy released was extremely low and insufficient to cause structural failure or trigger secondary hazards,” he said.
Despite the reassurance, Ige warned that Nigeria cannot afford to wait for a bigger earthquake before strengthening its seismic monitoring system, noting that the agency currently operates just five monitoring stations, at Utako, the University of Abuja in Gwagwalada, Nasarawa State University in Keffi, Veritas University in Bwari, and additional locations in Kaduna and Ilorin, which he described as inadequate for effective nationwide coverage.
He called for expanded monitoring infrastructure, improved logistics and funding, deployment of equipment at major mining and quarrying sites, and the incorporation of geological and seismic data into the planning of dams, bridges, railways, airports, mines and quarries.
Ige commended President Bola Tinubu and Alake for their commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector, and assured residents the agency would continue monitoring seismic activity nationwide.
“For now, residents of Abuja should remain calm and go about their normal activities,” he said.
The ministry advised residents who observe unusual ground vibrations to contact the NGSA emergency line on 09139442811.
