The multi-million Naira Kaolin processing plant sited in Bagurja, Gwaram, Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State has been officially commissioned by the Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir.
During the commissioning programme on Tuesday, small scale miners were empowered with equipments needed to enable them embark on the business of small scale mining under the economic sustainability plan of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The programme is also the artisanal and small scale mining cluster development project of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
Speaking shortly before commissioning the plant, Bauchi State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development for finding the State suitable for siting of the plant here to serve the entire North-East subregion of the country.
Represented by the SSG, Barr Ibrahim Mohammed Kashim, the Governor lamented the huge gap between demand and availability of the mineral resources across the country due to long time neglect by successive governments.
He observed that there are a lot of mineral resources in abundance across the country but regretted that they have not been fully hanenced thereby creating a very wide gap between demand and supply.
The Governor said that the State has a large reserve of Kaolin, gypsum and other such natural resources which have not been mined calling on investors to come and partner with the state to harnessed the mineral resources.
Bala Mohammed said that already, the State Government has obtained 12 operations incenses from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development assuring that very soon, the licenses will be operational.
He then assured that the government will provide amenities including water and electricity for maximum output of the plant in order to encourage investment in the Sector just as he said that there will be 24 hours security to protect the plant and the workers.
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Speakimg earlier, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc Olamilekan Adegbite said that the idea of the plant in the 6 geopolitical zones of the country was necessiated by the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
He explained that his Ministry presented to the FEC and was approved in 2021 but commenced the implementation of the project in 2022 expressing happiness that so far, 5 of the plants have been commissioned by the Ministry.
The Minister also said that the Bauchi plant is to process wet Kaolin needed for the use of the pharmaceutical industry in the country stressing that efforts should be made to embark on dry processing for the paint and other industries.
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