The Federal Government has assured stakeholders in the mines and steel sector that it is open to collaboration to actualise the diversification agenda of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, stated this in Abuja when he received a delegation from Mining Association of Nigeria, as well as members of Price Water Cooper and Infrastructure Partnership African Development in his office.
He noted that the collaboration of all stakeholders was needed in harnessing the sector’s potential to generate revenue and contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
Adegbite observed that the ministry would take concrete steps to address issues affecting the industry to broaden the range of opportunities available for the citizenry and create national wealth to fulfil the poverty alleviation plan of the Federal Government.
Similarly, the Minister of State, Dr Uchechukwu Ogah,appreciated the stakeholders for identifying with the ministry and urged them to embrace the industry as a key sector that would drive Nigeria to the next level.
In his address, the former president of MAN, Alhaji Shehu Sani, revealed that the essence of the visit was to congratulate the ministers on their appointment to pilot the affairs of the ministry.
The MAN president, Alhaji Kabir Kankari, acknowledged the efforts of former ministers, Dr Kayode Fayemi and BawaBwari, towards revitalising the sector.
This, he said, included the provision of vehicles for state and federal mining officers, decentralising the activities of mining cadastral officers and actively supporting the country’s Mining Week, among other things.
He, however, highlighted some challenges in the sector such as risk mechanism, mining communities’ challenges, illegal mining, unlawful interference by states and local governments, lack of geological information to attract more investors, among other factors and solicited adequate solution to the problems.
Representative of PWC, Cyril Azoba, and that of IPAD, Kudakwasha Tsingano, briefed the ministers on the 2019 Mining Week coming up in October.
They disclosed that activities were being put in the place to make the week a colourful event and used the opportunity to extend their invitation to all stakeholders in the industry.
