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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has stressed that reorienting Nigerians’ mindsets is vital for effective governance and sustainable national development.
Speaking while hosting participants of the Senior Executive Course 47 (2025) from the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Abuja, Alake urged the institute to harness its intellectual capacity to reshape the nation’s mental attitude.
“Nothing can go right when the national mindset is wrong,” he said. Praising NIPSS as Nigeria’s premier policy think tank, Alake called for more actionable policies to drive change. “We’ve had several development plans in this country, but implementation has often failed due to fragmented approaches,” he noted.
He added, “NIPSS was created to inject deep intellectualism into governance, but there’s clearly a disconnect—either public officials are not engaging enough with its recommendations, or the institute’s outputs are not being rendered in practical, implementable formats.”
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On the mining sector, Alake lamented its historical neglect, which has fuelled illegal activities and significant resource losses. He highlighted progress under President Tinubu’s reforms, noting that the Mining Marshals have arrested over 300 illegal miners in less than a year, with 150 prosecutions underway, including foreign nationals, and 98 illegal sites recovered. Nine convictions have been secured.
Alake also praised the ministry’s cooperative-based model, which has formalised over 250 artisanal mining cooperatives, enhancing oversight and boosting revenue through royalties. “President Tinubu’s reforms are aimed at stopping the systemic bleeding, blocking leakages, and laying the groundwork for long-term prosperity,” he said.
Representing the NIPSS delegation, Mr David Aloh described the session as “insightful and enriching,” stating that participants gained valuable insights into the ministry’s operations, including those of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), particularly in Nigeria’s green economy efforts.
“On behalf of the Director-General, management, faculty, and participants of Course 47, we deeply appreciate this engagement. The knowledge acquired here will guide us in carrying out our mandate under Mr President’s directive,” he said.
