Stakeholders in the Minerals and Metals sector will gather in Ilorin, Kwara State capital to address key thematic areas that will enhance the repositioning of the sector for rapid socio-economic growth and development of the country. The meeting is scheduled to hold Monday 15 – Wednesday 17 January 2024.
Theme of the 5th Edition of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD) that is being organized by the Ministries of Solid Minerals Development and Steel Development is – ”Minerals and Metals Sector: A Panacea for Economic Growth and Diversity”.
Dr Oladele Alake, Honourable Minister for Solid Minerals Development will address the Council which membership is made up of the Ministries, Honourable Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries in charge of Mineral Resources at the State Levels and other relevant stakeholders in the Minerals and Metals sector. Participants at the meeting will also include Miners Association of Nigeria ( MAN), Women In Mining ( WIM), Minerals Resources and Environmental Committee (NIREMCO) and other operators.
Under the thematic structure of the Council are sub-themes on which the Ministries call for submission of memoranda by Stakeholders and the public, of not more than 5 pages in both soft and hard copies on the topics:
a. Community Development and Inclusiveness in the Nigerian Minerals and Metals sector: Prospects and and Problems;
b. Curbing the menace of Illegal mining operations in Nigeria;
c. Technological Innovation : A Pivotal Game Changer for the Minerals and Metals Industry;
d. Lithium as Energy Transition Minerals in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges;
e. Minerals Resources Management: A key to the realization of Economic Diversification for the nation.
It is worthwhile to reiterate that the Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Dr Alake has asserted at various fora that the minerals sector is the next Petroleum of Nigeria, coupled with the global transition from fossil fuel to green energy; and the avowed determination of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to diversify the economy and uplift millions of Nigerians out of poverty level.
The 5th Edition of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD), an annual event, is scheduled to hold Monday 15 – Wednesday 17 January, 2024 at Ilorin, Kwara State. The first two days of commencement will be technical sessions; while the last day is the Executive Session of the Council, which will be Co-Chaired by the Hon. Ministers of Solid Minerals Development and Steel Development.
Riding on the above development, It is pertinent to state that during the previous Edition of the National Council of Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD), a total thirty-one (31) Memoranda were considered. The recommendations approved by this Council included but not limited to:
mandate State government’s to appoint and inaugurate Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee Chairmen ( MIREMCO) in all the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT;
adequate Sensitization and training of Artisanal Miners on areas such as safe and responsible mining and environmental sustainability should be sustained;
expedite action on the case submitted to Federal Ministry of Justice regarding multiple licencing and taxation in mining by States and Local governments, to be brought for interpretation;
sensitize and enlighten mining host communities and other stakeholders on the contents and context of Community Development Agreement ( CDA) in order to ensure mutual harmony;
enforce the ”use it or lose it” principle of Mining Cadastre Office ( MCO) in order to forestall illegal mining and free up spaces for genuine investors.
Alaba R. Balogun
Deputy Director (Information & PR)
