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As Bill scale second reading
By Christiana Ekpa
The House of Representatives has begun consideration of a bill to establish the Nigerian Solid Minerals Communities Development Commission.
The bill, sponsored by Hon. Anamero Dekeri, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Nalaraba, Hon. Engr Akarachi Etinosa Amadi, and Hon. Adedeji Stanley Olajide, aims to provide a legal framework for the commission to promote the development of solid minerals communities in Nigeria.
The lead sponsor, Hon. Anamero Dekeri, stated that the bill seeks to complement the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and unlock the potential of solid minerals in Nigeria.
He highlighted the country’s rich history of solid minerals production, which was a major driver of economic growth before independence.
Dekeri emphasized that the commission will diversify income for states, promote inclusiveness, increase Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, and attract foreign direct investment.
He said “This Bill seeks to provide a Legal Framework to Establish the Nigerian Solid Minerals Communities Development Commission to complement what we have achieved with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).
“Mr. Speaker, Honorable Colleagues, the echoes of our glorious past still resonate! Solid minerals were the bedrock of our economic strength in the years before independence. Coal, a mighty engine, powered our progress. We were a titan of the tin trade, and even held the crown as the world’s leading producer of columbite! These riches were not simply hoarded; they were wisely invested.”The guest lecturer asserted this during the Public Sessina Branch, today.
According to him, it is important that the manufacturing sector receives serious attention and makes deliberate policies to support the sector, otherwise, Nigeria will go back to the primitive age when the Country produced nothing.
Mr. Garba, who was a former lecturer with Kaduna Polytechnic noted that Nigeria is no doubt the global economic capital, but what the country needs to do to take its rightful pride of place, is to focus on manufacturing.
“The reason we have Boko Haram in the North East and banditry in the North West is because we have an army of youths who are not busy in the manufacturing plants. So, the solution to this myriad of challenges of poverty, unemployment, and insecurity is manufacturing.”
“As it is, Nigeria is the global economic capital and there is no reason for any Nigerian to japa anywhere. But, we must pay attention to the manufacturing sector to make it work. How do we do this? The American government gave a whopping $16billion grant and loans to the American manufacturing sector, we need to do a similar thing to ours,” he said. “As it is, Nigeria is the global economic capital and there is no reason for any Nigerian to japa anywhere. But, we must pay attention to the manufacturing sector to make it work. How do we do this? The American government gave a whopping $16billion grafacturing sector, we need to do a similar thing to ours,” he said.
