By; Juliana Katung, Kaduna.
With the Nigerian government now poised to look away from oil exploration to the vast potentials in the solid minerals sector, a two-day National Consultative Meeting to look at ways of harnessing the untapped potentials of the solid minerals sector was Thursday flagged off in Kaduna State.
The National Consultative Meeting on Validation of Roadmap for the Solid Minerals Sector is a platform provided by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development for stakeholders in the solid minerals sector to engage themselves on ways to check the many bottlenecks that have hampered growth and development in the sector.
This is part of the strategy the Federal Government adopted in its bid to fast track efforts at diversifying the nation’s economy as well as creating jobs opportunity to the teaming youths roaming the street without work .
The issues of lack of functional railways, policy uncertainty in the solid minerals sector and illegal mining formed the agenda of the meeting.
Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode
Fayemi in his welcome address, said one of the Government short and long term, cardinal objectives is to ensure that the solid minerals sector becomes a key revenue earner for the country as well as a means of employment generation.
According to him, the act provide avenue for the ministry to open functional zonal offices across the country.
Earlier, Governor Nasir Ahmad El-rufai who was represented by his deputy, Arc Barnabas Bala Bantex said the solid minerals sector is one of the key sectors on the Kaduna State Government’s priority list.
Other highpoints of the event was a panel session for Natural Resource Commissioners from Bayelsa, Gombe, Imo, Oyo, Plateau and Sokoto States.
