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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has lauded the Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG) for upholding professionalism, ethics, and global best practices in Nigeria’s mining sector.
Speaking at the induction of 259 new mining and geoscience professionals, Dr Alake described COMEG as a strategic partner in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the drive to diversify the economy through solid minerals.
He congratulated the inductees for joining a noble profession and charged them to uphold integrity, embrace technology, and promote safety and environmental standards.
The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr Farouk Yabo, also highlighted COMEG’s role in digital transformation, professional development, ethical enforcement, and the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining.
Dr Alake explained that in 2025 alone, the ministry issued about 867 mining licences, with sector revenue rising from ₦12 billion to over ₦50 billion, alongside expanded nationwide geological surveys.
He assured that the Federal Government would continue to support COMEG through policy, funding, and legislation, urging stakeholders to harness Nigeria’s mineral resources to help achieve the administration’s $1 trillion economy target.
Earlier, the Registrar of the Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), Professor Zacheus Opafunso, applauded the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, for providing the policy direction and institutional support that shaped the successful delivery of the 2025 Entrepreneurship Training Programme under Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
Professor Opafunso said the Minister’s intervention ensured operational stability and policy continuity, particularly after the agency was removed from the Federal Government budget in January 2024.
He noted that Dr Alake’s leadership was pivotal in securing national-level approval for the KME framework, strengthening engagement with the Office of the Head of Service and the Council on Establishment, a process that yielded strong technical support.
He said this financial breakthrough allowed the programme to proceed in spite of limited funding, demonstrating prudent resource management and innovative policy execution.
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Highlighting the broader impact, the COMEG Registrar said the entrepreneurship training aligns with the Federal Government’s agenda to expand technical skills, create employment opportunities, and drive economic diversification across the mining value chain.
He added that the redesigned training structure—combining induction, technical learning, certification, and practical field sessions—reflects a modern approach to professional development and sector readiness.
Professor Opafunso stressed that the initiative supports President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Ministry’s reform priorities, which emphasise innovation, accountability, youth empowerment, and private sector participation.
He expressed confidence that the programme will deepen professional standards and expand local content capacity across the geosciences and engineering fields while opening new pathways for Nigerian youths to participate meaningfully in the solid minerals economy.
Participants, he said, are expected to emerge with improved technical competence and enterprise skills, contributing to national growth and long-term job creation.
On his part, the Director-General of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency, Professor Olusegun Ige, charged the newly inducted members of the Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG) to uphold ethics, professionalism, and national service.
Professor Ige insisted that mining engineers and geoscientists are critical to Nigeria’s solid minerals development and economic diversification.
He commended COMEG’s role in professional regulation and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to collaboration in building a competitive solid minerals sector.
Some of the inductees, Emily Atchafodile and Mohammed Adoki, expressed excitement, saying the induction was long overdue and adding that the experience was overwhelming.
