The Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal has assured stakeholders of the full implementation of free mercury in Gold Mining in line with Minamata Convention.
Balarabe who was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mahmud Adam Kambari disclosed this recently in Abuja while declaring open the Inception Workshop for the Global Environmental Facility, “GEF Gold “to enhance the formalization of the Mercury -Free Gold Nigeria Project.
The Minister commended the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for funding the implementation of Mercury Free Gold Mining in Nigeria.
He further noted that the Project is expected to enhance the capacity of miners and provide support in accessing finance and markets for mercury-free gold in Nigeria.
He also called for strong collaborative framework, buy-in and active participation of all stakeholders, from government agencies at federal and sub national levels to mining communities, civil society, financial institutions and the private sector, as they are all paramount to the project’s success in order to develop a future where Nigeria’s gold resources are harnessed responsibly, without compromising the health of people or the integrity of the environment.
Earlier in her opening remark, the Director of Pollution Control & Environmental Health (PC&EH) Engr. Bahijjahtu Abubakar believed that the workshop marks a significant milestone in the collective journey towards a more sustainable, environmentally sound artisans and small-scale gold mining sectors in Nigeria.
She also revealed that the project offers a beacon of hope, a tangible pathway towards mitigating the harmful impacts while unlocking the economic potentials of gold mining in the country.
Representatives of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna and Niger States in their different goodwill messages assured their commitment to partner in driving the transformation of gold mining in-line with their mandate to promote inclusive and sustainable industrial development beyond the life of the project with technical expertise to facilitate knowledge exchange and leverage on International network to attract resources and partnership.
Further suggestions were made that the project should not focus on gold mining alone but other minerals resources in Nigeria (Non Metallic and Metallic)
Mrs Omotunde Adeola, the Director II of PC&EH thanked all participants for honouring their invitations and wished all a robust deliberation.
Signed
Mudasiru Mufutau
AD Press,
For:Director, Information and Public Relations
