By Othuke Evroh
The First Annual Solid Minerals Conference of BusinessDay Media Ltd, was held on Tuesday, at Hawthorn Suites, Area 11, Garki, Abuja.
The conference with the theme: Digging Deeper: Diversifying Nigeria Economy For Wealth Creation was aimed at partnering the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and positioning it as the next source of Nigeria’s common wealth”.
Highlight of the event was the dialogue and discussions by panelists on; “The use of Solid Minerals to shape international interest, economic power and international relations”, “How the Federal Ministry of Interior Issues expatriate quotas to Foreign Investors in the Solid Minerals Sector”, “The role of development finance institutions in the development of the Nigerian mining sector” and “The intersection between climate change concerns and the mining industry”.
Mr Frank Aigbogun, Publisher/EIC, BusinessDay Media Ltd, in his welcome address, stated that the conference is targeted at growing the solid minerals sector for the full benefit of the country.
“At BusinessDay we pride ourselves with the work that we do, engaging with the government and engaging with the private sector for the full benefit of the economy of Nigeria”.
Mr Aigbogun further highlighted that many other countries are benefiting their economies in the areas of solid minerals and Nigeria should not be an exception. “We know that many other countries, even those that are not as endowed as Nigeria are benefiting their economies by innovation, transparent, honest engagement between government and private sector in the area of solid minerals to deliver its results that we see around the world”.
“I am not a speaker here this morning. My work today is to welcome you formally and to then set the stage for what I believe would be a very successful, productive conversation and dialogue here today”, he declared.
Mr. Frank Aigbogun concluded his address thus, “I want to welcome once again, the Honourable Minister and of course other dignitaries and to say that we believe that together we and with the minister and his team, we can move the Solid Minerals Ministry to a level even beyond that which is demanded from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources”.
The Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, in his keynote address stated that the BusinessDay Solid Minerals Conference will enlighten the Nigerian press about the structure, needs, and positioning of the sector and through sensitization, enable the media to understand the workings and support our efforts to position it as the next source of our common wealth”.
The minister further reiterated the ministry’s Seven-Point Agenda as remedies to the ills ravaging the sector.
“The authentication of our Seven-Point Agenda as the elixir to the ills ravaging the sector has been validated by critical stakeholders. The Federal Executive Council and the two arms of the National Assembly embraced and adopted the programmes as the administration’s policy”.
The Seven-Point Agenda as encapsulated my the minister include;
-The establishment of a
private-sector driven
Nigeria solid minerals
corporation.
– The acquisition of
massive exploration
data to de-risk
investment.
-The setting up of the
inter-ministerial
committee for the
security of natural
resources at sea and on
land.
-The attraction of
Domestic and
International
investment promotions.
– The support for
Artisanal co-operatives
and campaign against
illegal mining.
-Value addition for
industrial
transformation and
financial stability and
– Community
Development
Agreements.
The requirements for the revised Community Development Agreements was launched by the minister. By this, holders of mining licenses must ensure that they negotiate with the communities in their mining areas and sign the agreements which ensure that the communities benefit from the wealth created from their common wealth.
“I wish to note with dismay that only 18 companies signed CDAs with their communities last year. We hope to enforce implementation of the revised guidelines in the new year and those found wanting will face stiff penalties”, the minister declared.
Dr. Dele Alake continued by stating that in a couple of days, something big in the form of foreign Investment will happen in the Solid Minerals Sector.
The Minister concluded his address by stating that the African Continent has agreed to present a common front to market its Solid Minerals.
“At the last Minerals Conference in Riyadh, we had such a good show and there was an idea that came up based on our own submissions that Africa must come together and present a common front”. “Over the decades and centuries, Africa has remained the raw material basket of the developed North of the globe and that it was time we changed this narrative. African countries should come together, especially in the minerals sector, present a common front to the developed societies and that common front is that no longer must our raw materials be extracted like that. There must be local value addition”.
The conference was attended by professionals, police makers, participants, stakeholders in the mining sector and personalities from all walks of life including the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, Hon. Malami Uba Sa’idu, President Geological Society of Nigeria, Mr. Lamin Barrow, Director-General, African Development Bank, Nigeria Country Department, Amina Sijuwade, Counsel, Advocaat Law Practice, Bose Owolabi, Managing Director, Dukia, Mr. Dele Kelvin Oye, President, NACCIMA, Amanda-Lumun Feese and Segilola Resources Operating Limited.
