Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Oladele Alake, on Monday, reaffimed that the decision of Federal government to diversify from hydrocarbon to make the minerals sector major contributor to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Dr Alake, stated this in Abuja, while receiving a delegation of the Miners Association of Nigeria, led by their National President, Mr Dele Ayanleke. The delegation comprised representatives of the VUKA group, co- organizer of the forthcoming Nigeria Mining Week and Price Waterhouse Coopers, foremost accounting firm.
While commending the Association for it’s suggestive recommendations and consistent role in organizing the Mining Week, Dr Alake said that Nigeria has been operating mono- cultural economy for long noting that tha the shift to solid minerals is overdue.
Alake, in a statement by his Head of Press, Mr. Alaba Balogun, said: ” our vision is to make solid minerals our pride, a major contributor to Nigeria’s gross domestic product. We will diversify from oil, to exploit it for survival of Nigeria. This is our own contribution to climate change.”
The Minister emphasized that the Ministry is committed to making requisite policies that will sanitize and rejig regulatory framework to make it more conducive for local and foreign investors to play
On the issue of incursion by the second tier of government into mining. He noted that the Federal Government, will engage the state government and local government with a view to resolving surrounding issues within the ambit of the law.
The Minister also revealed that high end technology will be deployed coupled with inter-agency taskforce to arrest the menace completely. He therefore, sought partnership with the Miners Association of Nigeria to strengthen capacity in this regard for the growth and repositioning of the sector.
In his remarks, National President of Miners Association of Nigeria, Mr Dele Ayanleke, expressed absolute assurance that the seven point agenda unfolded by the Minister of Solid Minerals under the renewed hope agenda of this present administration will consolidate and enhance the sector for maximum contribution to national development.
