*Photo: Minister on Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake ( Middle) in a group photograph with some critical stakeholders at the event*
*Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake making a speech. Seated is President of Miners Association of Nigeria, Mr Dele Ayanleke*
By Shakirudeen Bankole, Abuja
The 9th edition of the Nigerian Mining Week, a three-day long convergence of stakeholders in the nation’s mining sector, has winded down on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 in Abuja, with two important takeaways.
First, the forum, which was organized by the Miners Association of Nigeria, under the leadership of Mr. Dele Ayanleke, was able to galvanise industry players who had brought their expertise and experiences to illuminate the prevailing ambiguities around the ongoing reforms in the sector.
Some of these experts include policymakers, foreign and local investors, operators/miners, security experts, academia, researchers and anciliary groups and associations.
TheMiners Media Group ( TheMiners magazine and www.theminers.com.ng) was official Media Partner for the event.
For the entire three-day long parley, the industry players assembled at the Ladi Kwali Hall of the Continental Hotel, Abuja, to strike deals and provide knowledge-based overview on the pros and cons of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ‘s Hope Renewed economic diversification agenda, which is being spear headed in the mining sector by Dr. Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Mineral and Development.
Alake, in his remarks at the forum, reiterated that the ongoing reforms in the sector are designed to help convert the nation’s mining potentials to economic prosperity for the country, the people and the investors.
“On her part, as the regulator, this platform has helped to reinforce our resolve to regulate fairly but firmly. This is to ensure that the operators operate and mine responsibly, and that the right business climate is provided for the investors to thrive and as well as make profit from their investments, without any negative impact on the environment and the people whatsoever,” Alake said.
The Minister, while hinting on some of the discussions he had with captains of industry and Chief Executive Officers of companies over some alleged grey areas, however appealed for a little more patience.
“We all need to know that the intention of the President is clear, pure, and sincere. The ongoing diversification of the economy into Agriculture and Mining sector is to help address the recalcitrant issues of poverty and economic inequality in the country.
“Therefore, as the reforms take shape, we are ready to work with all of you, listen to you, and make necessary adjustments where need be. But we also ask you to do your parts and be patient while this long-term investment takes shape before we start to reap the benefits,” he pleaded.
Providing support for Alake, three other Ministers that physically attended the summit included the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Wale Edun; Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaib Abubakar Audu and the Minister of Defense, Muhammadu Badaru.
The leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Solid Minerals, Senator Ekong Sampson and Hon. Jonathan Gaza, also attended the forum to demonstrate their support for the hosting Minister .
“The presence of my colleague from the House of Representatives and myself (from the Sente), is to physically demonstrate our support for the ongoing reforms in the mining sector. I am promising you guys today that we are here and ready to provide all the legislative supports that would be needed in ensuring the success of the ongoing reforms in the Nigerian Mining sector,” Sampson said.
Other dignitaries in attendance were Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy; Dr. Mary Ogbe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Solid Minerals, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office (NMCO), Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, among others.
Hadjia Fatima Sinkaffi, the Executive Secretary, Solid Minerals Development Fund; Professor Olugbenga Okunlola, Professor of Applied Geochemistry and Economic Geology, and Head of Geology Department, University of Ibadan; and Engr. Umar Al-Barki, President of the Nigerian Society of Miners, were all in attendance.
The second takeaway from the just-concluded Mining Week, was the growing clamour for the liberalisation of the sector.
Prominent among the proponents of the unbundling of the sector were Mr. Dele Ayanleke, President of the Miners Association of Nigeria and Aminu Abba Ibrahim, the Special Adviser on Solid Minerals to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State.
The two stated that one of the root causes of the deadly conflict between operators and mining host communities was the exclusion of the landowners, community leaders, the state and the local governments from the decision making process.
“While the reforms are ongoing, the Federal Government should also consider the libralisation of the sector as a long-term solution to the prolonged conflicts between communities, operators and even the state and local government.
“When the sector is liberalised, all of these stakeholders would be given chairs on the table in terms of control and regulation. And that would go a long way in addressing most of the challenges,” Ibrahim told TheMiners.
Ayanleke specifically pointed out the impatient attitude of the reforms drivers and a seeming unwillingness to listen and engage with frontline stakeholders on key issues and challenges in the sector, as being espoused throughout the panel sessions during the Mining Week.
“This is what we are saying. Look at the hall now, it is almost empty. We are just here talking to ourselves. The policymakers and executives who suppose to be here to listen and understand our pains, with the resolve to address them, are nowhere to be found again.
“They have delivered their speeches and goodwill messages and left. The question then is, if they are not here to listen to the issues, right from the frontline of operations, how would they relate to what we are talking about and be able to address them,” he asked?
Also speaking with TheMiners at the event, Barrister Iyunola Aderonke, a Partner at Dentous ACA Law firm, said it is imperative for the drivers of the reforms to ensure that the various policies and interventions being made do not ultimately lead to the abuse of the fundamental human rights of the people of the mining host communities.
“This is so important because at the end of the day, the statutory duty of government is to ensure the wellfare and well-being of the people,” she said.
