The Honourable Minister, Solid Minerals Development, Oladele Alake, has reiterated the government’s decision to prioritize the mineral sector over hydrocarbons in line with addressing climate change.
According to the ministry’s head of press and public relations, Alaba Balogun, the minister expressed that Nigeria has been relying on a mono-cultural economy for quite some time and emphasized that it is high time for a transition towards solid minerals.
This statement was made during a meeting with a delegation from the Miners Association of Nigeria, headed by their national president, Dele Ayanleke.
He stated: “Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Oladele Alake has reaffirmed that the decision of the Federal government to diversify from hydrocarbons to making the minerals sector a major contributor to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) is our contribution to climate change.
“Dr Alake dropped this hint when he received a delegation of the Miners Association of Nigeria, led by their National President, Mr Dele Ayanleke. The delegation comprised representatives of the VUKA group, co-organizer of the forthcoming Nigeria Mining Week and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the foremost accounting firm.
“While commending the Association for its suggestive recommendations and consistent role in organizing the Mining Week; Dr Alake stated that Nigeria has been operating a mono-cultural economy for a long time, noting that the shift to solid minerals is overdue.”
He said: ”Our vision is to make solid minerals our pride, a major contributor to Nigeria’s gross domestic product.
We will diversify from oil, to exploit it for the survival of Nigeria. This is our own contribution to climate change”.
“To this end, the Minister emphasized that the Ministry is committed to making requisite policies that will sanitize and rejig the regulatory framework and to make it more conducive for local and foreign investors to play”.
“On the issue of incursion by the second tier of government into mining, Dr Alake stressed that the federal government will engage the state government and local government with a view to resolving surrounding issues within the ambit of the law.
“Speaking on securing the mining sector environment for maximum yield to the Federal government, the Minister revealed that high-end technology will be deployed coupled with an inter-agency task force to arrest the menace completely. He, therefore, sought a partnership with the Miners Association of Nigeria to strengthen capacity in this regard for the growth and repositioning of the sector.
“In his earlier remarks, the National President of Miners Association of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Ayanleke, in a vote of confidence, expressed absolute assurance that the seven-point agenda unfolded by the Minister of Solid Minerals under the renewed hope agenda of this present administration will consolidate and enhance the sector for maximum contribution to national development.”
