From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN), has called on Federal Government to accord the solid minerals sector similar attention and funding models as applied to Agricultural sector.
Acting National President of MAN, Musa Muhammad, stated this in Abuja, on Wednesday at the press briefing. He added that the group need a solid minerals bank to acquire loan at a low patronage to be able to compete with foreign investors.
He appealed that the construction works on the Mineral buying clusters be expedited to give effect to the recent policy on value addition to Nigeria minerals before export.
He said: “The following prayers as panacea to some of the aforementioned challenges, the Remote Sensing and Monitoring Systems, an initiative launched in February 2020 by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, should be considered for implementation and installation in all mining locations.
“The initiative be concretized through a multi-agency approach by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Nigerian Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Miners Association of Nigeria.
“More digitized surveillance system for advance warnings, via continuous monitoring, be procured with adequate administrative and security personnel to enforce compliance with various regulatory policies and security protocols.
“That the ban on mining activities in Zamfara, Katsina and Niger States be reversed so that licensed mine owners will relocate to their mines and team with our security agencies to combat the bandits feasting on their legitimate concessions.
“ASM Department be empowered with personnel and logistics to provide the extension services as provided in section 91 of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007. That under an Executive Order, foreign nationals be prevented from entering mining sites during this period of National Security Emergency.
“Government, through the funding agencies, should engage Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) to review the conditions to access the various intervention facilities meant for the sector by the intended small-scale operators or unlock them to facilitate the equipment leasing gaps in the identified mining clusters as a backward integration strategy for the established mining cluster buying centers.
He also call on the government as a matter of national urgency, convoke a high powered conference, under the auspices of the Raw Materials Development and Research Council, to deliberate and recommend the quickest means to localize industrial revolution that will fast track economic recovery.