Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, has said the country’s mining sector requires urgent reforms to allow for the exploitation of the tremendous potentials in the solid minerals sector of the economy.
Engineer Sule stated this while welcoming guests at the townhall meeting organised by the Tinubu Shettima Campaign Organisation, in Lafia, on Thursday.
According to the Governor, the solid minerals sector has great potentials for the economy of Nigeria but that it however requires urgent reforms.
Engjneer Sule added that, it’s also important to talk about security because, in Nasarawa State and Nigeria as a whole, mining and security go hand in hand.
The Governor said Nasarawa State, known as the Home of Solid Minerals, has tremendous potentials in solid minerals but that it requires urgent reforms in order to minimize illegal mining and to improve on insecurity in the country.
“This is one area of our economy with great potentials but will require urgent reforms so as to minimize illegal mining and to improve on insecurity in the country. It’s important to speak about security whenever solid minerals development is mentioned. Because in Nigeria, they go together,” he stated.
He said Nasarawa State is blessed with the largest deposits of several viable minerals including cooking coal, barite, lead, zinc and lithium, as well as playing host to most of the active minerals development companies.
Nasarawa currently produces barite that is used in drilling petroleum and marble that is sold across the country.
Engineer Sule added that, his administration has evolved a comprehensive plan for the complete value chain in the mining sector, assuring the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, that soon, a factory built by one of the private investors prospecting, exploring, producing and now processing most of the barite and marble, will be commissioned.
The Governor used the opportunity of the townhall meeting to highlight the potentials of the state in the area of agriculture, with Nasarawa State being first in the country in the production of sesame.
“We are the second in the country in terms of yam production. And we the first state to export yam out of Nigeria. We are the second in production of cassava, we are the 5th in production of rice and very soon, Asiwaju, we are going to be the first not only in Nigeria but in Africa in sugar production,” he highlighted.
In his speech at the event, the APC Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu said his campaign for the nation’s number one seat will only be issue-based, centred on bringing prosperity to the nation.
The former Lagos State governor said he would prioritise the resuscitation of the nation’s economy through the development of the solid mineral sector, stating that the nation is richly blessed and can cater for itself.
He appreciated Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule for giving him the opportunity to share his vision.
“We shall allow the desperate, devoid-of-substance campaigns of others engage in divisive identity politics and the promotion of untruths and ugly rumours.
“We, the APC, shall continue to stand before the Nigerian people to discuss the real issues of the day and offer insight into the policy solutions we intend to deploy to solve them. In this, we remain the best and only hope for progressive good governance in Nigeria.
“Few nations are as well-endowed as Nigeria, given our industrious, energetic population and our vast inventory of land, water and natural resources. Our beloved nation has abundant, commercially viable solid mineral deposits such as coal, limestone, iron ore, bitumen, lead, zinc, gold and a variety of gemstones.
“It is the obligation of government to use these gifts wisely to benefit the nation and improve the living standards of the average Nigerian,” he said.
On his plans for the sector, Tinubu promised to make the Ajaokuta Steel Company fully operational again.
He also added that the sector would contribute more to the nation’s economy by building the GDP.
“We seek to turn this economy into a more active engine of growth, productivity, jobs and income. We seek to establish a broad-based economy that ensures broadly-shared prosperity for all.
“Solid minerals and mining will play key roles in our campaign toward prosperity and our economic offensive against poverty and underdevelopment.
“The solid minerals sector contributed less than 1% to our GDP in 2020. We need to increase this amount every year. My administration will develop the solid minerals sector, establishing policies that will encourage investment for growth in that sector.
“My administration will ensure the full completion and operation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company under a viable Public-Private Partnership structure,” he added.
He also said his administration would enact legislative reforms and forge strategic partnerships with private sector investors with requisite skills and proven capacity to support investment in the mining sector.
On agro-processing, Tinubu added, “My government will continue the progress and, in particular, shall focus on expanding the development of agro-industry to boost domestic food production and enable our farmers and industrialists to add value to their products.
“My agricultural policy encompasses the creation of storage facilities, affordable farm loans and mortgages, creation of modern agricultural hubs in each geopolitical zone amid other measures.”
Earlier, Plateau State Governor and Director General, Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation, Barrister Simon Bako Lalong, described the Lafia Town Hall meeting as another worthy engagement between APC Presidential candidate and critical stakeholders in Nasarawa State after similar events in Kano, Lagos and Niger States.
Lalong also said Nasarawa is the home of huge solid mineral deposits that have remained untapped with attendant insecurity caused by illegal miners promising, Tinubu as next President of Nigeria would squarely address during his tenure.
‘Tinubu is a man with untainted records of solving challenges. We are lucky he is ready to serve our country at this time,” said Lalong.
Also speaking at the session, APC National Chairman, Adamu charged Tinubu to get ready to lead Nigeria to the Promised Land. He re-echoed the position of President Muhammadu Buhari that all indicators and indications point to the fact that the APC Presidential candidate is the next President of Nigeria.
On mining opportunities in Nasarawa State, Adamu said his state is endowed.
“On mining sector, every local government in Nasarawa State has a solid mineral deposit. I can say this with authority as former Governor of this state and Chairman of Senate Committee on Solid Minerals. I don’t want to say Nasarawa has potentials but I will say the huge opportunities are here.
“We are tired of potentials in this country, we want to see the real things. Nigerians need to see the Action Plan of our candidate and they will see in details what Tinubu and our party want to do. We are convinced our tomorrow will be better than our today,”he said.
On his part, immediate past governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman. Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Steel Development and Metallurgy, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-makura, called for the unbundling of the solid mineral sector to allow for participation by all and sundry.
According to Senator Al-makura, the current legislation holding sway and controlling the solid minerals sector, the Mineral and Mining Act 2007, is deficient and constitutes a stumbling block to the full realization of the potentials inherent in the sector.
“This has overtime, stagnated wealth creation and job opportunities because of the lack of participation by states and local Governments,” he stated.
In a bid to further enhance the determination of the Federal Government to diversify the country’s economy, especially with the solid mineral sector being key component of this drive, Senator Al-makura disclosed that already, the ninth Senate is working on a bill which has so far passed first and second reading, which when passed into law, will bring about participation in the solid mineral sector for all and sundry.
Not only that, the Senate Committee Chairman on Solid Minerals said there is ongoing proposal for the setting up of the Nigerian Mining Development Company Limited, which like the NNPC, will serve as a vehicle for unbundling the solid minerals sector.