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By Agatha Chitumu, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - The Minister of Steel Development, Dr. Dele Alake has hinted that necessary legislative framework for the establishment of the Nigerian Solid Minerals Development Corporation has been initiated to further reposition the sector.
Alake stated this while speaking in Abuja during the presenting the ministry scorecards cum seven points agenda and deliverables to Nigerians.
The event was part of the activities lined up to mark the one year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He highlighted some of them as Solid Mineral Development and Joint Venture, gathering of data, promotion of international events, securing the investment environment with Mines Police and technology among others.
In the same vein, the minister has also warned prospective miners in the country that any company interested in mineral exploration without a certificate of environmental impact assessment report from the Ministry of Environment would not be given a mining licence.
The matter of environmental impact according to him is so important that, “Between May 2023 to May 2024, the ministry, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment participated in 18 Site Verification Exercises, bringing the total number to 238 since inception.”
Alake said as long as he remains the minister of solid minerals, the rules would never be bent even though he said some powerful persons were threatening him because of his stance, the reason for which he said he had cancelled over a thousand mining licences.
He said, “During the period under review, 65 Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation Programme (EPEP) reports were approved, making it a total of 486 approved since inception. This has helped as a tool to monitor compliance with environmental regulations in the sector.”
While giving a breakdown of achievements recorded in the ministry since May last year, Alake said the Renewed Hope Agenda initiative of the administration is rejuvenating the solid mineral sector from fossil oil as attention is now directed towards solid minerals and green energy.
“With its vision on the diversification of the economy as the guiding principle, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development was identified as a critical machinery to unlock energy and natural resources for sustainable development,” he said.
While responding to queries regarding challenges such as funding for mineral mapping, mineral smuggling across the country, and the welfare of minerals miners, Alake emphasised the pivotal role of big data gathering in his 7-point agenda.
He noted that one of the crucial factors in attracting investment in the mineral sector is the availability of comprehensive and efficient data. Such information, he explained, forms the basis upon which foreign investors can make well-informed investment decisions.
“Generating data is expensive and it requires funding. Your data must be accurate and certified by international certification agencies so that your data will have international recognition.
“It is only when that is done that investors all over the world will not think twice about coming into your environment to invest.”
Regarding the 2024 budget proposal, he disclosed that the ministry had requested N200 billion for exploration, specifically for data gathering. However, the allocated funds fell far short of this figure. Nevertheless, the ministry is pursuing alternative avenues to secure funding.
He further revealed that discussions have been ongoing with potential partners from South Africa, who are willing to facilitate a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project. Under this arrangement, they would provide counterpart funding, thereby alleviating some of the financial burden on Nigeria.
He also outlined plans to engage esteemed Geoscientific authorities and agencies worldwide, renowned for their expertise, to assist in mapping out Nigeria’s mineral resources. Collaboration with such organizations would entail equity-sharing arrangements.
