By ABUBAKAR YUNUSA
Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, says Nigeria’s abundant mineral resources can be used to revive the country’s economy.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Alaba Balogun, head of press and public relations, Alake affirmed that the present administration under President Bola Tinubu is shifting attention from hydro-carbon.
According to the statement, the minister spoke when a delegation of the Nigeria-China chamber of mines led by Olugbenga Ajala, national president, paid him a courtesy visit in his Office in Abuja.
He told the delegation that the ministry has implemented several well-thought-out policies and programmes aimed at achieving specific goals for economic prosperity, as outlined in the recently released roadmap.
Alake affirmed that the establishment of the solid minerals corporation and the promotion of public-private ventures are crucial to the attainment of the objectives.
He added that the measures would ensure sustainability, and increase revenue accruable to the government, with a significant contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The minister noted that the government would clamp down on those sponsoring banditry to foster illegal mining.
“The government will come down firmly on these unscrupulous foreign operators sponsoring banditry to perpetrate illegal mining: let me use this medium to appeal through you to tell those sponsors to desist or face the full wrath of the law,’’ he said.
He added that the government has given illegal miners a 30-day grace to come forward to formalise their work.
He also said the aim is to streamline and structure the small-scale artisanal miners for maximum yield to the federal government.
