The Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq yesterday urged professional economic geologists in the country to help find solutions to the ugly trend of illegal mining and the associated security challenges in the country.
The governor made the appeal at the opening ceremony of the 3rd International Conference of the Nigerian Society of Economic Geologists (NSEG), held at Al- Hikmah University’s auditorium in Ilorin, the state capital.
Represented by the state commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Afees Abolore, the governor described the current situation in the mining sector as a national emergency.
AbdulRazaq, therefore, charged the economic geologists to use the conference to dwell on issues around the huge challenge of illegal mining and security, saying that, “solid minerals take the centre stage in the national economic reforms. ”
He added: “This is why the theme of your conference, ‘Today and Future Trajectories of the Minerals Industry in Nigeria: From Exploration to Exploitation and Local Value Addition’, especially the area that touches on local value additions, is very timely”.
AbdulRazaq, who said that government foresees a Nigeria where the solid minerals subsector dominates the GDP through massive employment generation and wealth creation, lamented that the task was being threatened by illegal mining and security challenges.
He said that Kwara State is committed to the transformative Renewed Hope Agenda of the President, “including in the solid mineral sector where we are already doing a lot. Very shortly, we are fully owning five (5) Special Purpose Vehicles as provided for in the Nigerian.
Minerals and Mining Act 2007.
“We are open to partnership with local and international investors in this regard and in other areas of the economy. You can’t find another state more conducive and business-friendly like Kwara, so l urge you to work with us.”
Earlier, the president of the NSEG, Dr AbdulRazaq Garba, said that Nigeria is at its most critical time in terms of its mineral resources development and environmental sustainability.
Garba, who said that the country’s minerals industry holds significant promise, however, said that there are challenges confronting the industry such as “regulatory complexities, infrastructural limitations, funding gaps, and the need to bridge technological advancements with our traditional practices.
“Despite these challenges, there have been noteworthy achievements—our industry has made strides in establishing stronger policies, creating public private partnerships, and incorporating more cutting-edge technologies into our practices”.
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