From Uche Usim, Abuja
As a way of growing the country’s revenue and the economy in general, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) is deepening its collaboration with players in the mining industry.
The agency is also championing the crusade for prudent management of Nigeria’s natural resources in view of the huge transformational potential they hold.
The Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr. Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, while hosting a delegation from Miners Association of Nigeria said the need for closer cooperation cannot be overemphasized.
He said there should be strong collaborative efforts to provide a conducive operating environment for investors by tackling insecurity, acrimony, conflicts, violence and other factors that retard the growth of the industry.
He said: “When we provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, both the host communities, states, country and the companies that do business in the sector will be happy and fulfilled. That is why the EITI believes very strongly that on transparency and accountability everyone gains and is a beneficiary.
“When we do not have a fair, equitable and accountable industry, violence is almost inevitable and these actions impede smooth business flow and interplay. NEITI’s role is to avoid all of this by ensuring that as Miners you are provided with the opportunities and enabling environment to carry out your business”.
In his remarks, the President, Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Dele Ayanleke commended NEITI’s for its consistent efforts in carrying out its mandate of ensuring transparency and accountability in the extractives industry. He affirmed that NEITI’s independent auditing and reporting on the solid minerals sector has been beneficial to members of his Association and has helped to highlight the sector’s revenue generation potential.
“expressed concerns over interference by some State Governments which hinders growth of the sector and sought NEITI’s support in advocating for stronger compliance from subnational entities with the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the solid minerals sector.
“State Governments interference, leading to the enactment of multiple regulations and creation of parallel structures to control the solid minerals sector is not only inimical to Constitutional provisions, but akin to resource control which might throw spanners into all the past efforts at growing the sector to fulfill its envisaged mandates.
“We seek the support of NEITI to join the advocacy for the sub-national entities to respect constitutional provisions and all extant legal and regulatory frameworks governing the solid mineral sector” Mr Ayanleke appealed.