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Question

Difficulty: HardLiteral Comprehension and Fact Retrieval

Read the passage below carefully:

Established in 1950, the Nigerian Coal Corporation (NCC) took over the management of sub-bituminous coal extraction, which had originally commenced in 1916 under the colonial Railway Department. Mining operations were initially centered around the Enugu coalfield to fuel steam locomotives and thermal power stations. Coal production reached its historical peak of nearly 900,000 metric tonnes in 1958. However, the discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri in 1956, alongside the onset of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967, severely disrupted mining infrastructure and led to a rapid decline in output. Despite attempts in 1977 to revive operations through joint-venture export initiatives with foreign partners, the corporation's early commercial stability relied almost exclusively on domestic orders from the Nigerian Railway Corporation and the Electricity Corporation of Nigeria.

Statement: Coal extraction at the Enugu coalfield was initiated by the Nigerian Coal Corporation in 1916.

Answer: Answer

Answer

False. The passage explicitly states that coal extraction commenced in 1916 under the colonial Railway Department, whereas the Nigerian Coal Corporation was established later in 1950.
The statement is false because the passage explicitly states that coal mining began in 1916 under the management of the colonial Railway Department. The Nigerian Coal Corporation was only established in 1950 to assume control of these existing operations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Locate the explicit passage detail regarding the commencement of coal extraction in 1916.
The text states that extraction 'originally commenced in 1916 under the colonial Railway Department'.
Accurate fact retrieval requires identifying the exact institutional body associated with the 1916 date.
2
Identify the founding year and role of the Nigerian Coal Corporation in the passage.
The passage notes that the Nigerian Coal Corporation was 'Established in 1950' to take over management.
Comparing the organization's establishment date with the initial extraction date reveals whether the statement's attribution is correct.
3
Evaluate the accuracy of the statement against the retrieved facts.
The statement incorrectly claims that the Nigerian Coal Corporation initiated extraction in 1916.
Conflating the 1916 start date under the Railway Department with the 1950 establishment of the corporation represents a literal misreading of the passage.

Key Concept

Literal fact retrieval requiring precise matching of dates, events, and institutional entities mentioned in a text.
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Topics

Literal Comprehension and Fact Retrieval

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