By ABAH SUNDAY, Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister for Solid Minerals Development Dr Dele Alake has canvassed for legislative support that woud entrench local value addition in the mineral sector through beneficiation and generate massive employment in mineral endowed communities.
Dr Alake made the case during an oversight visit by the House Committee on Solid Minerals led by its Chairman, Honourable Jonathan Gbefwi, to the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, according to a statement signed by the ministry’s head of Media and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun.
Bringing the visitors up- to date on recent activities and programmes of the ministry, Alake explained that value addition and mineral processing as a key point of the ministry’s 7 point agenda, offers enormous benefits to a mineral endowed country like Nigeria by providing jobs and maximising natural resources.
He alluded to his recent successful promotional tours to mining conferences in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Cape Town, South Africa to canvass for local value addition.
The Minister informed House Committee members that the campaign led to the coalition that gave rise to the African Minerals Strategy Group ( AMSG) and his unanimous election as it’s pioneer Chairman.
”The era of carting away solid minerals without commensurate value addition is over,” he said.
The Minister also stressed the primacy and centrality of security to achieving economic development in the country, commending the recent meeting of the Presidential Inter-Ministerial Committee on securing natural resources and the launch of a new security outfit by the Interior Minister, using the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps to combat illegal mining.
Speaking, the Chairman House Committee on Solid Minerals, Hon Jonathan Gbefwi, said the visit to the ministry was in fulfilment of the committee’s oversight duty.
Stressing the importance of the mineral sector to the economy, he noted that the only sector that could rescue Nigeria from its economic doldrum.
According to him, the committee would do all that is needed to support the ministry to bring the sector to its glorious heights.”
Delivering vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary Dr. Mary Ogbe stated that the collaborative efforts between the House committee and the ministry reflected a shared commitment to harnessing the nation’s mineral resources for economic development and diversification.