From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Minister of Solid Minerals Dr Dele Alake has restated that Federal Government is committed to reviving the nation’s economy through its vast mineral resources.
The Minister made this disclosure at the second international conference of Nigerian Society of Economy Geologist,NSEG, themed:Economic diversification in Nigeria: The role of the minerals and mining sector held in Abuja,on Monday.
Alake who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Artistinal and Small-scale Miners, Yunusa Muhammad stressed that the present administration would continue to provide all that is needed for accurate acquisition of geoscience data for the development of the sector and country’s economy.
He said,” the completion of the NIMEP project phase 1 and the conclusion of phase to commence phase 11, is a testatioñ to the administration’s unwavering efforts to continue to provide the much need geoscientific data for the growth of the mining industry in Nigeria.
Alake further added that the importance of the recent achievements in the mining sector can not be overemphasized as they would stimulate global interest in mineral exploration and mining in Nigeria.
Earlier in his welcome remarks,the Director-General of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, Dr. Abdulrazaq Garba, stated that geological data is the key to the ingredients development of minerals and mining sector.
Dr Abdulrazaq stressed that no meaningful development can be achieved in the mining sector without the acquisition of reliable and up-to-date geological data.
He added that the Nigerian Society of Economic Geologists have played a vital role in the generation of geoscientific data needed to woo investors into the solid mineral industry in Nigeria.
“As part of the ongoing efforts at repositioning the mineral sector,
the government places very high premium on the generation and acquisition of reliable geoscientific data which are necessary in our quest to attract both local and foreign investors in the mineral sector.
The acquisition of reliable and up-to-date geological data is a key ingredient in the overall development of the minerals and mining sector, as no meaningful investment in the sector can take place without them.
It is heartwarming to note that members of the Nigerian Society of Economic Geologists have played a vital role in the generation of geoscientific data needed to woo investors into the solid mineral industry in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency over the years have played a leading role in the execution of exploration projects, that have given birth to many mining endeavours. The attendant benefits of these mining companies to the nations economy include employment and foreign exchange generation, poverty reduction, wealth creation, infrastructural development and an increase in the availability of raw materials for local industries.