The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD), Dr. Mary Ogbe has emphasised the need for a stronger collaboration between the ministry and its agencies to drive national growth and development in the minerals and mining sector.
Ogbe expressed this during her visit to the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), a parastatal under the ministry, in Abuja, as part of her ongoing familiarisation tour of agencies and parastatals.
In her address, Ogbe acknowledged and commended the mutually beneficial relationship between the ministry and SMDF. She emphasised the critical role this partnership plays in achieving the ministry’s mandate of economic diversification and infrastructure enhancement in the solid minerals sector.
The permanent secretary affirmed the ministry’s commitment to consolidate and sustain its collaborative efforts with SMDF and other agencies to ensure the realisation of their respective mandates for the benefit of both citizens and investors.
Furthermore, Ogbe praised the achievements of the present executive secretary of SMDF, expressing her admiration for the progress made under her leadership.
The executive secretary of SMDF, Hajia Umaru Shinkafi also acknowledged the support of the ministry in implementing reforms aimed at repositioning the fund. She highlighted that the purpose of the development fund is to enhance the human and physical capacity in the minerals and mining sector, particularly in mining institutions, to enable them to fulfil their statutory functions.
During the visit, the executive secretary interacted with the media and emphasized the importance of the development fund in strengthening the mining sector and enabling mining institutions to perform their roles effectively.
The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, in collaboration with SMDF and other agencies, remains committed to driving economic growth and development in the minerals and mining sector, ultimately benefiting the nation as a whole.
