Mining: Nigeria, Australia hold policy, capacity building workshop

By Musa Adamu

The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, in partnership with the Australian High Commission, is hosting a policy and capacity building workshop on the mining sector.
The two day workshop, which holds between February 19th and 20th, in Abuja, will provide information on leading practice from Western Australia on building a sustainable mining sector.
A Press Release by Speacial Assistant to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Media, Olayinka Oyebode, said the aim of the workshop was to build the Nigerian mining and mineral sector’s capacity to deliver enhanced mineral exploration and mining regimes and promote on going education and training in mineral policy governance.
It said the workshop would also foster partnerships for knowledge sharing and skills transfer to ensure leading practice in Nigeria.
With the theme, “Policy and Capacity Building Workshop for a Successful and Sustainable Mining Sector 2018”, it said the workshop would be delivered by two senior officials from the Western Australian Government Department of Mines and Petroleum.
It said the Speakers at the workshop would include representatives from the Ministry, as well as officials from the 36 state governments.
It further explained that the workshop, which aims at exposing participants to the Australian mining operations techniques and international best practices, was a follow up to the earlier one that took place in November 2016.
It said: “Objectives of the workshop include provision of information on leading practice from Western Australia on building a sustainable mining sector; build capacity of the ministry staff for the delivery of enhanced mineral exploration and mining regimes.
“Others are the promotion of on going education and training in mineral policy governance; fostering of partnerships for knowledge sharing and skills transfer to ensure leading practice across inter-country jurisdiction and sharing of the 120 years of Western Australia’s experience in developing mineral resources industry.”
It also disclosed that Australia was one of the world’s leading mineral resources nations.
“We are the world’s largest refiner of bauxite, fourth largest producer of primary aluminium, the largest producer of gem and industrial diamonds, lead and tantalum, and the mineral sands rutile and zircon; and the third largest producer of gold and iron ore.”