From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The Women In Mining In Nigeria (WIMIN) has launched the Girl For Mining (G4M) initiative in Taraba state in a bid to fill the gender gap in the state’s mining sector.
Engr. Janet Adeyemi, national president of WIMIN said the initiative was aimed at stimulating interest of girls in the sector so that some of them can explore career paths and get more actively involved in legal mining activities in the state and nation at large.
Adeyemi, who spoke at the launching of the initiative in Jalingo on Monday insisted that the reliance on crude oil as the main income source is becoming very unfashionable with Mining and Agricultural sectors becoming more reliable sources and the involvement of women in the sector is key.
“There are limitless opportunities and prospects in the mining sector. 70-80 percent of everything we use in our daily lives are products of mining, from the ceramic at your home to the gold and metals on your mobile phones, to the glass on your windscreen and bulbs, to even the stainless steel and alloy on your wristwatches and on it goes. So the mining industry can never be replaced or displaced.
“Today, Nigeria is dependent on crude oil as its major source of wealth. However, the world does not want crude oil anymore. Now they want solar energy, hydro-power and other sources of power that are not oil. So at this time, we are witnessing the gradual passing away of the oil and gas sector in the globe and when it finally fades out, Nigeria will be left with only two means of wealth creation- Mining and Agriculture. Mining sector will soon become more wealthy and prosperous than the Oil and Gas sector ever was in Nigeria.
“The question is that, when the sector finally takes the front seat, who will be left in it, calling the shots and milking the benefits? When I look at statistics, of all the mainstream miners in Nigeria today, only 6.8% are women, the remaining 94% are men. So, the women in the mining sector today are a drop out of an ocean, and the few women in the sector are being edged out of the game by gender blind laws and by misogynists.
“The number of women in the sector will keep dropping. If we do nothing to pump female miners into the sector now, the women on ground today will all be gone someday. I saw a gap in the mining sector that I wanted to fill up. That gap is called the Gender Gap. The only way to meaningfully populate the mining sector of today with productive women, is to begin to guide our girls from their school age, into a prosperous future in the mining sector.
Adeyemi thrilled the children by enumerating numerous benefits of becoming a member of the G4M initiative.
“All students in the G4M club will regularly participate in inter-school quizzes and debates. Winners will be awarded in each competitions. All students of the G4M will go for annual excursions to mining sites, tourist sites, natural resources regulatory agencies or other places of interests in line with the overall intent of G4M. Each student of the G4M club will stand a chance to travel abroad for an exchange visit, to tour mine sites, meet fellow students abroad and meet with high profile female miners for mentorship and opportunities.
“All students of the G4M club will have mentors who shall guide them through their secondary education while any student of the G4M club who have decides to pursue a career in any mining related courses will be assisted to secure an admission to study that course at any tertiary institution of her choice in Nigeria. In addition, all students of the G4M club will have the opportunity to work with Women In Mining In Nigeria for a one year Internship and Training, among others” she said.
She urged the students to take the opportunity serious and embrace the benefits that they stand to gain.
Some of the students who spoke to our correspondent said that they were thrilled with the opportunity and we’re already contemplating career paths in mining related sector.