From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Federal Government had reiterated that it will give necessary support to investors, national and international, that are keen in investing in the Nigerian Minerals Sector.
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite stated this while on a working visit to the mining site of Multiverse Mining and Exploration Plc, located in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, recently.
The Minister expressed satisfaction with the company’s activities, which, he said is in line with the Federal Government’s initiative to diversify the economy through the mining sector.
He noted that Multiverse Mining and Exploration Plc is one of the successful stories in the sector that will encourage other investors to invest sector.
“There are a lot of Nigerians who actually have the financial capacity to invest, but are not sure of the sector. The success of this company will encourage other investors to come in and invest in the mining sector”, he said.
The Minister thanked the State Government and the Traditional Rulers for their support for the project, saying that as the project grows, it will be mutually beneficial to all stakeholders.
“We have made mistakes in the oil sector, where the oil companies prosper and the communities are impoverished. We want to avoid that pitfall in the mining sector, hence, as the company prisoners, the community also prospers”,he said.
Earlier, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Musa Ibrahim Abubakar, disclosed that the company’s operations has given the teeming youth a lot of jobs. He said Multiverse Mining and Exploration Plc is one of the companies operating in the state that the State Government is proud of, as it uses modern technology in drilling, unlike others that do open cast mining thereby damaging the land with no clear reclamation plan.
The Commissioner said the state will encourage the company in all aspects as well as endure that there is peace, stability and that the host community is carried along.
Earlier in his address, Executive Director, Multiverse Mining and Exploration Plc, Ayo Oluwasusi said the company has over 400 Nigerians in it’s employ, 95 of which are from the host community. He further stated that the company is putting emphasis on transfer of technology to Nigerians so as to reduce the number of Chinese in it’s employment.