The Chairman Senate Committee on Solid Mineral Resources, and the Senator representing Enugu West in the red chambers, Distinguished Senator Osita Ngwu, has called on the Nigeria miners to embrace a new holistic approach in their respective offices and duty posts in order to drive and maximize the huge potentialities embedded in the solid mineral sector for the benefits of the country's economy.
The senator spoke on Tuesday, 17th October 2023, at the Miners Association of Nigeria Conference holding in Abuja, with the theme; CAPITALIZING ON NIGERIA'S CRITICAL MINERAL RESOURCES FOR ITS ECONOMIC GROWTH.
The Senator who stated that unfortunately, the Solid Mineral Sector has been the missing link in our Revenue chain in the past decades, buttressed by the last presentation of the Extractive Industry contribution to National Revenue Report by NEITI, which the report shows how dwindling, and abysmally embarrassing the Sector is contributing to the coffer.
Though, with the theme of this year's conference, the Senator believes that there's a glimpse of hope if only the theme will be translated to deliverables unlike in the past. He charges the miners to brace up and move to the desired new era in the Sector by shunning and isolating those known beliefs, mentalities, and especially, the unwholesome practices perpetrated by some unscrupulous elements in the sector in conjunction with international criminal elements, and embrace the smart ways of doing business than the business as usual model that has kept the sector grounded.
He equally advocated for a change of narrative in our conservation of Solid Mineral for our general good. And in his style, in his proactive way of doing things and arriving at the needed solution, he matched his speech with action by challenging the organisers of the event to prepare and summarize the outcome of the meeting with high-points of previous meetings since 2015 and forward same to the Senate Committee on Solid Mineral Resources with a draft bill that will turn things around for the desired quantum leap so desired in the Sector.
Finally, to ice the cake, Senator Ngwu pledges that his Committee in the Upper Legislative Chambers will work harmoniously and assiduously with the Minister, relevant MDAs, NGOs, Security Agencies and and every other relevant stakeholders in the sector in making legislative interventions that will make the National prosperity happen through the Solid mineral sector.
The conference has the Secretary to the government of the federation, *Senator George Akume,* as the representative of the President Federal Republic of Nigeria. The governor of Nasarawa State, *Engr. Abdullahi Sule,* and the deputy governor of Ebonyi state, *Mrs Patricia Obila* graced the occasion. Other relevant stakeholders in the Solid mineral sector were also not missing out in the conference. They include the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, *Dr. Henry Dele Alake,* the Minister of Steel Development, *Alhaji Shuaibu Audu,* the Minister of Trade and Investment, *Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite,* the president, Miners Association of Nigeria, *Mr. Dele Ayanleke,* and many other important stakeholders.
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