The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake has affirmed the readiness of the President Bola Tinubu administration to collaborate with indigenous mining engineers to revitalise the solid minerals sector.
He commended their contributions during a courtesy visit by the engineers, emphasising the need for collective efforts to implement the roadmap for solid minerals development for the benefit of Nigerians.
Alake reiterated plans to invest in solid mineral data, aimed at reducing barriers for investors and utilising satellite technology and a surveillance task force to combat illegal mining activities. He emphasised the pivotal role of the solid minerals sector in addressing climate change concerns, describing it as a “survival kit” for the country.
Furthermore, Alake encouraged mining engineers to propose innovative ideas that would facilitate the implementation of the roadmap, promoting local content across the solid minerals value chain.
Regarding the mining engineers’ proposal to rename the ministry, the minister explained that such a change would require significant legal adjustments and institutional recalibrations.
