From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Former Governor of Nasarawa State and Senator representing Nasarawa Central Senatorial District, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura,     has called on private miners to collaborate with the ministry as government’s proposed legal framework on mining would regulate its activities in Nigeria .
Al-Makura said this at a summit on the solid minerals future,held in Abuja, yesterday.
He stressed that in no time,the solid minerals sector would be come the major avenue for revenue generation for the country, adding that there is no state in the federation that is not endowed  with reasonable quantity of solid minerals.
“The Senate is very passionate about this sector. The bill has passed the first and second reading,it is already been processed through public hearing. As soon as we resume  section,it is going to be presented for third reading and final legislative action. What that means it that the sector  will be privately runned with certain participation of government.
“With time we will discover the the mining sector will be one of the most robust avenue for revenue generation for the country, especially now that the government is moving towards diversification of the economy. One of the sectors that this diversification could be fully  rooted in, is the  solid minerals because there is no state in the federation that solid minerals does not abound.The summit is coming at the right time and I am calling on private miners to collaborate with the ministry because very soon we will have a legal frame work  for effective participation of private sectors in the solid minerals, he said.
On the ban of mining activities by the Federal Government due to security challenges facing the country,he said life is dynamic and the happenings are above our powers  but government is making efforts to see that the insecurity is reduced to the minimum.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, MMSD,  Olamilekan Adegbite, on his part said the ministry has commenced the design of a robust strategic framework to create a thriving critical minerals industry.
He added that it would facilitate the exploration, mining and processing of critical minerals discovered in Nigeria.
“Encourages local manufacturing and industrialization with critical minerals as feedstock. The Federal Government recently approved the Nigerian Value Chain Regulations to encourage processing and value addition on exploited local minerals, and develop a robust market for mined and processed minerals making Nigeria a major supplier of critical minerals for domestic use and export.
Tony Nwakalor ,CEO  SOUNDCORE Group,the moderator,said it is the first minerals summit, adding that it would break down policies that will attract both private and public participation in the minerals sector.