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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Former Governor of Nasarawa State and Senator representing Nasarawa Central Senatorial District, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, has called on private miners to collaborate with the Federal Government. He explained that the government’s proposed legal framework on mining would regulate its activities in Nigeria.
Al-Makura said this at a summit on the solid minerals future, held in Abuja, yesterday. He stressed that in no time, the solid minerals sector would become the major avenue for revenue generation for the country, adding that there is no state in the federation that is not endowed with reasonable quantity of solid minerals.
“The Senate is very passionate about this sector. The bill has passed the first and second reading. It is already being processed through public hearing. As soon as we resume, it is going to be presented for third reading and final legislative action. What that means it that the sector will be privately run with certain participation of government.
“With time, we will discover the mining sector will be one of the most robust avenues for revenue generation for the country, especially now that the government is moving towards diversification of the economy. One of the sectors that this diversification could be fully rooted in is the solid minerals because there is no state in the federation that solid minerals does not abound. I am calling on private miners to collaborate with the ministry because very soon we will have a legal frame work for effective participation of private sectors in the solid minerals,” he said.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, MMSD, Olamilekan Adegbite, said the ministry has commenced the design of a robust strategic framework to create a thriving critical minerals industry.
He added that it would facilitate the exploration, mining and processing of critical minerals discovered in Nigeria.
