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Mineral Licences already issued before the
present administration were not revoked but would be
revalidated after the development of the Mining Regulations.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development,
Chief Sarafa Tunji Isola made this declaration during an
interactive session with the media correspondents in his
office.
The Minister insisted that no mining licence
had been revoked by the present administration, but all
licences already issued would be revalidated after the
development of the Mining Regulations.
According to the Minister “the Mining
Regulations to guide the administration of mineral licence
had not been developed and there is no law guiding the
issuance of mineral licence”.
Chief Isola said that the Mining Regulations
that would guide the operators and investors are in the
final stage of completion and would be presented to the
public soon.
He said that in the Mining Regulations, the
issuance of mining licence would be based on technical
ability, financial capability and minimum work programme of
title holders.
The Minister also disclosed the Federal
Government’s readiness to reposition the Mining Cadastre
Office which is supposed to be established by law with the
presentation of the Mining Regulations.
As part of the implementation strategies of
the Mining Regulations, the Minister said that the Ministry
would soon embark on a sensitization programme for the
public and other stakeholders such as the Judiciary,
Security Guards, Media and Organized private sector while
their views would be taken on board in the development of
Mining Sector.
He added that with the three policy
instruments “National Minerals and Metals Policy, Nigerian
Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and Mining Regulations, Nigeria
would be in a vantage position to join the comity of mining
nations in the world.
Chief Isola also reiterated the present
administration’s commitment to increase the contribution of
Mineral Sector from 0.5% to 5% in ten years to the economic
growth of Nigeria.
He reaffirmed that the focus of the present
administration is on seven strategic minerals which he
listed in order of priority as Coal, Bitumen, Iron Ore,
Limestone, Gold, Barytes, and Lead/Zinc with a contribution
of 85% of what the country requires in the Mineral Sector.
Chief Isola also disclosed that out of these
strategic minerals, Coal, Bitumen, Iron Ore and Limestone
were receiving an immediate attention of President Yar’Adua
so as to fast track the transformation of the economy into a
diversified modern type.
In the words of the Minister,” the first four
of the seven strategic minerals are receiving president’s
attention now, for instance, Coal for power generation, the
steel sector depends on Iron Ore, Limestone for the
production of cement in the country”.
To forestall the challenges such as
infrastructural development, means of transportation and
power associated with the exploration of these strategic
minerals, the Minister disclosed that the Ministry was
already in collaboration with the Ministries of
Transportation and Energy with a view to providing Coal for
power generation, rail and road networks to inaccessible
mines sites.
Earlier in his address, Chief Isola urged the
media correspondents to shun speculations and imbibe the
practice of reporting objectively for the growth of the
solid mineral sector and the nation at large.
In his own contribution, the Minister of
State, for Mines and Steel Development, Alhaji Ahmed
Mohammed Gusau (MFR) explained that Ajaokuta Steel Company
was not privatised but given out on concession to the
operator, adding that, the work of ascertaining its accurate
state was in progress and that a report would be turned in
that would take care of the yearnings of all stakeholders.
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