The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) have entered into a partnership aimed at unlocking the vast mineral potential of the North Central.
The collaboration, aimed at enhancing local value addition and job creation, was sealed during a visit by the NCDC management team to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake, in Abuja.
In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Lara Owoeye-Wise, said Alake revealed to his guests that the federal government is intensifying its “persuasive and enforcement” strategy to sanitise the sector.
He disclosed that over 300 small-scale and artisanal miners have already been organised into cooperatives to facilitate their transition into the formal economy.
However, the minister issued a stern warning to those defying the law, noting that the President Bola Tinubu administration has arrested over 300 illegal miners to date.
The statement reads: “About 150 individuals, including foreign nationals, are currently undergoing prosecution,” Alake stated, emphasising the government’s zero-tolerance policy toward the pillaging of national resources.
The statement quoted Alake as highlighting that the administration’s shift from raw material exportation to in-country processing is yielding significant dividends, as the solid minerals sector now contributes more than $2 billion to the national economy.
“The policy is designed to encourage in-country processing and beneficiation of mineral resources, thereby reducing raw material exportation while boosting industrial growth and job creation,” Alake explained.
He noted that the North Central – comprising Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – is already benefiting from new mineral processing projects.
The minister then advised the NCDC leadership to look beyond material gain and focus on national service.
The statement reads: “You have a very critical role to play and note that you are not doing it for the president or the government. You’re doing it for the Nigerian nation.
“You don’t have to make material acquisition your main focus because materialism is transient, a flash in the pan. Your own names would also be etched in the sands of time.”
NCDC Managing Director, Dr. Cyril Tsenyil, expressed the commission’s readiness to leverage the region’s rich deposits to drive sustainable development.
To streamline these efforts, Dr. Tsenyil proposed the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), specifically dedicated to developing the mining sub-sector in the zone.
Tsenyil noted that such partnerships are essential for “aligning efforts, leveraging shared resources and driving sustainable development initiatives.”
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