By Palma Ileye
Minister, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake has assured indigenous Mining Engineers of the willingness of the Tinubu administration to partner with them to transform the solid minerals sector.
According to a press release issued yesterday by Alaba Balogun, Head Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Alake gave the assurance when the Engineers paid him a courtesy visit at his office.
He commended their contribution to the development of the sector saying that all hands must be on deck to execute the roadmap for Solid Minerals development to benefit Nigerians.
He reiterated plans to invest in data on Solid Minerals to lower barrier to investors and leverage on satellite technology and surveillance task force to tackle the menace of illegal mining.
He noted that the solid minerals sector is the “survival kit” of the country critical to the global clamour for climate change.
He urged Mining Engineers to bring forward new ideas to promote the implementation of the roadmap to achieve local content across the solid minerals value chain.
On the proposal of the Mining Engineers asking the Government to rename the ministry, the Minister said, “it would amount to legal gymnastics that would require institutional calibration.”
