Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake has stated that the solid minerals Nigeria is endowed with in abundance will be a resurrection tool to revamp the nation’s economy, just as he affirmed that the present administration is shifting attention from hydro-carbon.
Alake made this declaration when a delegation of Nigeria-China Chamber of Mines led by its National President, Dr. Olugbenga Ajala paid him a courtesy visit in his Office at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja.
While speaking further, the Minister stated that the Ministry has initiated several deliberate policies and programmes which are geared towards achieving set objectives for economic prosperity; as outlined in the roadmap that was recently released to the public.
He affirmed that the establishment of the Solid Minerals Corporation and promotion of public-private ventures is crucial to these objectives; adding, that it will ensure sustainability, and increase revenue accruable to the government, with a significant contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Alake also acknowledged the importance of the security of investors, which according to him, is crucial to achieving the Ministry’s vision of repositioning and sanitizing the minerals sector for maximum contribution to the nation’s socio-economic development and the present administration’s renewed hope agenda.
He, therefore, said the Ministry is committed to establishing a multi-agency task force that will put a stop to the activities of illegal miners and their collaborators. ‘’The government will come down firmly on these unscrupulous foreign operators sponsoring banditry to perpetrate illegal mining: let me use this medium to appeal through you to tell those sponsors to desist or face the full wrath of the law’’, the Minister stated.
The Minister also restated that the Government has given illegal miners 30 days grace, stressing, that it is not a punitive measure but a way to formalize and make them legitimate to continue in their trade. He also asserted that the aim is to streamline and structure the Small Scale of Artisanal Miners for maximum yield to the Federal Government.
Earlier, the National President, Nigeria-China Chamber of Mines, Dr. Olugbenga Ajala informed the Minister that their visit was to celebrate his appointment as Minister for Solid Minerals Development.
The Association, he stated, has preferred ideas and suggestions to the Ministry; that will advance and grow the sector for socio-economic development of the country. Some of these include improving data synergy between the Mining Cadastre Office and the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency.
. TheWitness
