The Nigerian government
The Nigerian government has expressed its determination to play
prominent role as a world mining player.
The nation’s assertion was conveyed by the Hon. Minister of
Mines and Steel Development, Arc Olamilekan Adegbite when he
appeared before the House Committee on Mines and House Committee on
Steel to brief them on the activities of the Ministry.
Adegbite said the ministry has worked out modalities to
improve on the efforts and legacies of successive Ministers in the
sector. He acknowledged the initiatives and efforts of past
ministers which he believed have come into fruition, most
especially in the establishment of Agencies such as Mining Cadastre
Office (MCO) and the Nigeria Geological Survey Agencies (NGSA).
He said part of the mandate of the Ministry is to diversify the
economy and to begin to tap into the rich mineral resources of
Nigeria so as to create employment, wealth and getting people out
of poverty.
The Minister informed the committees that the agencies under the
Ministry are undergoing reforms to ensure optimal performance. “We
have started out by first identifying the potentials within the
Ministry, so some of the activities being carried out is to first
of all assess all the pro that the agencies as well as department
of the Ministry are having and what needs to be done to ensure they
perform optimally”, he added.
He pointed out that the activities of the MCO and NGSA are being
computerized and being put online so that at the touch of a button,
investors can access data and information on all minerals in the
country from any part of the world. He promised that the activities
of NGSA and MCO would soon be accessible online.
While fielding questions from the Hon. Members on the ministry’s
plan concerning Artisanal Miners, Adegbite said the problem of
mining in Nigeria is that about 90% or more of miners is in the
realms of Artisanal Miners, that is the small scale Miners who have
not gone through the right process to mine.
He informed them that the Ministry is currently adopting
strategies to organize the artisanal miners into cooperatives to
enable them benefit from various programmes of government, most
especially in the area of training on safer mining practices,
funding and to also ensure that they get good value for whatever
they mine. He also added that the Federal Government has created a
legitimate buying centre to enable miners sell at the prevalent
market price so as to prevent exploitation of the small scale
miners.
On the challenges facing the Ministry, the Minister appealed to
the committee to assist in increasing funds allocation to the
sector.
The Chairman House Committee on Mines, Hon. Michael Enyong in
his remarks acknowledged the desires of the two Ministers to turn
things around in the sector and promised that the committee would
align themselves with their patriotic desires to ensure that the
program and policies of government in solid minerals is
achieved.
The Ministry was however encouraged to intensify efforts to
combat various challenges confronting the sector such as
insecurity, reclamation of mine land, capacity building, among
others.
Meanwhile the Chairman House Committee on Steel, Hon. Abdullahi
Halims said the Committee would leave no stone unturned in ensuring
that the steel industry works. “We are aware that industrialization
of Nigeria is solely dependent on the Steel industry, we will
support the ministry by way of legislation and active interaction
to ensure that the steel industry which is standing between the
poverty and the riches of the country becomes a major player in the
industry”, he further explained.
Idowu Jokpeyibo
For: Director Press