All unlicensed miners in the nation have been given a 30-day deadline to join artisanal corporatives or face punishment, according to Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake.
On Sunday in Abuja, the Agenda for Transformation of Solid Minerals for International Competitiveness and Domestic Prosperity was unveiled, and the minister issued an ultimatum.
He predicts that the GDP of the country will be influenced by solid minerals to the tune of 50%.
He stated that the ministry was prepared to bring in foreign direct investment and that it would concentrate on a seven-point agenda.
These, according to Mr. Alake, include the establishment of the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation, joint ventures with multinational mining companies, and the use of big data to analyse the deposits of the seven priority minerals.
Additionally, illicit miners were given a 30-day grace period in which to join artisanal cooperatives.
According to the agenda, there will be a Mines Surveillance Task Force, Mines Police, and a thorough examination of all mining licences.
Six Mineral Processing Centres would be established, focusing on value-added goods, he said.
President Bola Tinubu, according to the minister, has made daring decisions that have reset the logic of the Nigerian economy.
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He claimed that the elimination of subsidies and the introduction of a single currency rate were two of this administration’s fundamentally transformative initiatives.
The management of the ministry is guided by this bold strategy for building long-term economic resilience.
If the nation is to benefit from the trillion-dollar worth of minerals that are buried beneath the ground nationwide, the ministry must confront the problem head-on.
The sector needs to be repositioned in terms of personnel and capital variables that can drive its development, he said, in order to attain this admirable objective.
According to the minister, mining is a significant industry, and the ministry will see to it that the Nigerian Solid Mineral Corporation is established.
He stated that Nigeria needs replicate its strategic position in the oil industry in order to establish its footprint.
“This can be accomplished by establishing a business entity that competes in this area.
Therefore, the ministry will endeavour to incorporate the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation, he declared.
According to Mr. Alake, the corporation will offer strong assistance to Nigerian businessmen looking for capital abroad in order to validate their investment ideas.
He declared that the ministry will establish a security tax force and mines police to aid the nation in battling smuggling and unlawful mining.
