The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development Abubakar Bwari said the Solid Minerals is ready to become the new Geese that lay the nation’s golden eggs.
The Minister spoke at the 3rd Nigerian Mining Week, organized by the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN), in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Spintelligent in Abuja.
He said the reforms carried out in the Ministry has made it easier for investors to invest in solid minerals, adding that the Federal Government have also released funds from the dedicated Natural Resources Development Fund for the generation and provision of necessary geosciences data to attract more investors.
According to him, five explorations works contracts and consulting services for gold and platinum group metals; Rare Earth Metals; Base Metals; Barytes; and Iron Ore, were recently awarded through competitive bidding to carry out resource mapping for potential mineral prospects.
His words, “The efforts of the present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari to find alternative sources of wealth creation by developing the mineral resources of our country has led to a number of innovations in the sector.
“We have strengthened our policy and institutional frameworks for investors in the minerals sector and daily it gets easier to do mining business in Nigeria.
“The dredging of the River Niger has been completed while works at Warri Port and the Escravos Channel is about to be completed. These works would facilitate export and import of goods through Warri Port using flat bottom vessels.
“The Central Corridor Railway line linking Warri Port to Abuja through the North central, home to iron ore, steel plants, coal resource and pegmatite bearing lithium, is also under construction. The rail line from Warri Port through Ajaokuta to Itakpe is already completed. The completion of the ongoing works in Warri Port and the Escravos would ease access to the deep sea, and open up business opportunities for Ajaokuta and Delta steel Plants by paving way for the shipment of bulk goods to and from sea ports.
He also disclosed that the government has initiated a partnering scheme with the private sector for the provision of infrastructure through the implementation of a National Integrated Infrastructure Masterplan, adding that the ongoing construction of a 3,035MW Mambila Plateau Hydro-power plant will boost economic activities in that zone of blue sapphire and bauxite.
He said the Ministry has also completed work on the Electro-magnetic survey data for three highly prospective gold and lead zinc zones and these are available for interested investors.
Bwari revealed that the completion of the rail line from Warri through Ajaokuta to Itakpe, would open up business opportunities for the Ajaokuta and Delta Steel plants especially with the completion of the ongoing works in Warri Port and the Escravos which was meant to open access to the deep sea.
He said the completion of the dredging of River Niger and the almost completion of Warri port and the Escravos channel would facilitate export and import of goods through the Warri port using flat bottom vessels.
Bwari added that the Electro-magnetic survey data for three highly prospective gold and lead zinc zones have also been acquired and are available for interested investors.
He added that the ministry has strengthened its policy and institutional frameworks for investors in the minerals sector and daily it gets easier to do mining business in Nigeria.