The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite has tasked the staff of the ministry to keep up their optimum performance towards the repositioning of the mining sector in Nigeria.
He gave this charge during his opening remarks at the 2023 Ministerial Retreat organised by the ministry in Ibadan.
While applauding the management and staff for successes recorded so far, he called for improved performance that will ensure the ministry attains the economic diversification bid of the present administration, adding that the retreat will bring about robust deliberations that will further catapult the ministry to greater successes.
While stating the importance of such retreats, the minister noted that part of the resolutions of the 2019 retreat resulted in the creation of the Mining Cadastral Office (MCO)’s online portal which was launched recently, the Downstream Policy which prohibits the exportation of raw ore out of the country and data management, among others, saying “these policies derived from the 2019 retreat have helped to increase revenue generation by the sector”.
Adegbite called on the staff in attendance to come up with strategies that will ensure deliberations and resolutions at the retreat cascades down to the rest of the staff. This, he believed, would bring about synergy and ensure all staff in the ministry are united in efforts towards repositioning the sector and achieving the ministry’s mandate.
In her address, the permanent secretary, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade stated that the topics to be discussed at the retreat – environmental, social and corporate governance; climate change and energy transition, etc., – will enable the ministry to align the sector to global international best practices and aid stakeholders develop strategies for prompt answers to challenges faced by the ministry, evolve synergy in the sector and improve the ministry’s governance framework.
Also, Akinlade expressed the belief that it will boost revenue generation and ultimately attract the needed investments that would drive the sector and make it the catalyst for the nation’s industrialisation.
The permanent secretary disclosed that the retreat agenda was carefully crafted to propel participants to design workable action plans and quick-wins for the sector, adding that decisions reached will form the basis of the work plan of each department and agency, as well as help to adapt to the reforms in the Federal Civil Service. She, therefore, urged all participants to take the retreat seriously.
Earlier the ministry’s director, planning, research and statistics, Mr. Ken Onwubiko said the retreat was basically to assess the successes of the targets set in the 2019 retreat and review the milestones achieved so far, as well as chart a new course for moving the sector forward.
A statement by the ministry’s director, press and public relations signed and signed by Ijomah Opia said participants believed that the retreat afford would facilitate the achievement of the ministry’s mandate in revenue generation, job and wealth creation.
