The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has called for a strengthened collaboration between the ministry and the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development as a strategic step toward exploring opportunities in the solid minerals sector toward sustained economic growth of the country.
The minister canvassed the partnership imperative on Monday when the committee’s members led by its Chairman, Senator Ekong Sampson, paid an oversight visit to the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
Alake highlighted the Ministry’s recent achievements of the ministry and government’s initiatives aimed at making Nigeria a frontline player in the global mineral resources landscape.
Specifically, he spoke on the Ministry’s progress in attracting foreign investment and expanding Nigeria’s presence on the international stage, particularly after Nigeria’s local value-addition policy was endorsed at the recent Africa Minerals Strategy Group summit.
According to him, Nigeria’s solid minerals sector is now a global player in view of the recent investment and other strides in the sector through active engagement with both local and international investors and stakeholders.
While expressing the ministry’s appreciation to the Senate Committee members for their insightful recommendations and ongoing support, Alake maintained that their “critical feedback has been vital to the progress being made and that the ministry was looking “forward to an even closer collaboration with the Senate to ensure our work leaves a lasting legacy.”
He also highlighted the surge in the Ministry’s revenues achieved despite budget constraints, and urged the Senate to address the Ministry’s funding needs for improved performance.
The Minister reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to a transparent, inclusive, and accountable mining environment, and promised to further enlighten mining operators on the importance of legislative oversight.
He maintained that by fostering partnership between lawmakers and operators, the Ministry would enhance regulatory compliance and strengthen industry standards for long-term growth.
He highlighted a two-pronged strategy designed to ensure both industry expansion and support for local operators, namely establishing fair, transparent regulatory frameworks, and prioritizing local participation through a redistribution model that gives preference to Nigerian operators.
Alake told the lawmakers of the ministry’s plans to acquire satellite technologies that will enable real-time monitoring of mining operations and, ensuring adherence to approved limits and reducing unauthorized practices.
In his remarks, the committee Chairman, Senator Ekong Sampson, commended the ministry’s achievements, particularly in improving revenue performance, adding that “this sector is crucial to our economy, and we are impressed by the improved revenue profile.”
The Chairman assured of the Committee’s continued support for the Ministry’s objectives, recognizing the solid minerals sector’s pivotal role in Nigeria’s economic advancement, stressing that “together with the Ministry and through active collaboration, we are confident in our ability to drive sustainable development in this essential sector.
“Illegal operators not only undermine revenue but also disrupt oversight functions. By enacting stronger legal measures, we can create a mining environment free from unauthorized activities,” he added.
