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- 32 others join mining committee to dismantle bottlenecks
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), has revealed that 21 states in the country will roll out Phase II of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination exercise, starting 27th May, 2024.
The Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, made this disclosure in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.
The chairman said the members had received a briefing on the commencement of the exercise from its Senior Health Advisor, Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab on progress in the state involved, with expanding health insurance coverage and their performance on nutrition, as well as the Primary Healthcare (PHC) Leadership Challenge during the meeting.
In October 2023, the Nigerian government initiated the integration of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine into the national health system, to immunise 7.7 million adolescent girls ages 9–14.
The launch which is spearheaded by the Nigeria Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), will accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem in Nigeria.
In the same vain, 32 State Governors after a briefing from the Minister, of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, have agreed to form a joint committee to protect the interest of both parties as well as dismantle bottlenecks hindering mining activities in the sector.
According to the communique: “Members received a briefing from the Honorable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake, on recent policies, institutional and operational reforms undertaken by the ministry in harnessing the mining potentials of the country.
“He sought the cooperation of State governments in his drive to create an enabling business environment for investors, support artisanal and small-scale mining cooperatives, address illegal mining, and de-risk the sector.
“The Minister encouraged State Governments to form mining companies and apply for mining licenses. The Forum welcomed the reforms, however, advocated for stronger intergovernmental relation in coordinating the activities of the sector from licensing, surveillance to operational safeguards.”
Alake, in a statement said that the parley underscored the commitment of the federal government to partner with sub-nationals and get their input in ongoing efforts to reposition the mining sector.
Reiterating that solid minerals belong in the exclusive legislative list according to the provisions of the 1999 constitution, Alake advised that states must get the approval of the ministry before making policy pronouncements on mining activities in their domain.
“Our actions, both at federal and state levels, should be guided by the constitution and done procedurally so that we don’t appear to the unsuspecting public as if we are at loggerheads. To ensure that we remove contentious areas, we announced that states are free to apply for mining licenses so that they can become critical stakeholders in the industry and have a sense of belonging. Through that substantial involvement, we expect that they will preserve the operating environment of mining in their state, apart from deriving direct revenue from it,” Alake added.
The Minister also commended sub-nationals that heeded the charge of the federal government and applied for licenses to operate as a limited liability company to mine resources in their states.
According to him, “I have had to approve licenses for some states that brought their applications forward. I made no hesitation in approving such licenses because we made a policy announcement to support the active participation of federating units. This is just part of our efforts to accommodate federating units and ensure that they benefit from our God-given resources.”
Citing the membership of the states’ Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO), Alake emphasised that with five members and the Chairman, nominated by Governors, the input of states is considerable within the 10-man committee charged with the management of mining activities and addressing attendant environmental issues of mining operations.
He called for the cooperation of the Governors with the federal government’s efforts to reform the mining sector and ensure that it contributes substantially to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), boosting revenue to the federation account.
In his remarks, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state stressed the need for states and the federal government to work out a template for collaboration, nothing that states should have an input in the process of issuance of mining licenses.
Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, and his Niger State counterpart, Hon. Umar Bago towed the same line whilst also urging the Minister to consider a one-on-one consultation with state Governors to address the peculiarities of challenges facing the mining sector in their states.
Alake said his ministry and the Governors’ forum agreed to strengthen engagement and explore a workable template for collaboration to ensure bottlenecks to mining development are dismantled.
