From Magnus Eze, Abuja

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In its bid to maximise support from international bodies and foreign governments in ensuring sustainable growth in the mining and mineral sector, the Federal Government, at the weekend, inaugurated the Development Partner and Donor Agencies Coordination Group on Mining.
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who inaugurated the group at a meeting in Abuja, said government was doing a lot to restore the country’s lost glory in the minerals and mining sector.
The forum would serve as a platform where development partners and donor agencies meet to review, coordinate and synergise their programmes with the aim of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of assistance provided to the mining sector.
On the reforms taking place in the sector, the minister said: “It involves improving governance, transparency and accountability, building an investor-friendly regulatory environment, making the sector more inclusive for artisanal miners and women, and so much more.”
He added that government was driving a public sector-enabled and private sector-led mineral sector transformation and looked forward to the support of the development community in achieving the set goals.
Representatives of international organisations and donor agencies at the meeting were the World Bank, the Department for International Development, Ford Foundation, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, United Nations Development Programme, Open Society Initiative for West Africa, Medecin San Frontieres, as well as the Australian and Canadian governments.