From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has charged South African investors and global mining giants to seize opportunities presented by the ongoing reforms and improved business climate in the mining sector.
In his keynote address at the inaugural international investment forum and roadshow in South Africa for the solid minerals sector in Nigeria, he emphasised that Nigeria is open for business, citing the renewed focus of President Bola Tinubu’s administration on solid minerals development.
Dr. Alake, in a statement released by his special assistant on media, Segun Tomori, noted that aggressive promotion of the sector was central to his seven-point agenda, affirming that the strategy had successfully redirected global attention to Nigeria’s mining industry, culminating in increased investments and a significant rise in revenue generation for the country.
Highlighting the positive impact of recent reforms, the Minister, represented by the permanent secretary, Dr. Mary Ogbe, pointed out that the introduction of the Electronic Mining Cadastral System (EMC+) has streamlined the licensing process, enabling a fully digitised application system for mining licenses. Additionally, the newly launched Nigeria Minerals Decision Support System (NMDSS) offers critical hydrological, geological, and geographical data that will assist potential investors in making informed decisions.
The host of the investment forum, acting Nigeria High Commissioner to Nigeria, Tope Ajayi, in his remarks, stated that the conference aims to showcase the vast solid minerals potentials of Nigeria to South-African investors, secure valuable collaborations with the ministry and get the needed capital investment that will spur rapid development of the mining sector.