MINISTER of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has disclosed that the Federal Government is formalising Artisanal Miners (ASM) to make their operations more beneficial to the economy in line with global best practises.
The minister stated this in Abuja at the first public stakeholders consultative meeting on Formalisation of Artisanal Miners into Cooperatives and Small Miners into Large Mineral and Financial Enterprises together with the Design and Implementation of an ASM Remote Sensing Monitoring System in the Mining and Steel Sector with the theme: “Developing the Artisanal and Small- Scale Mining Economy.”
Adegbite explained that formalization of activities of artisanal and small-scale miners is the only tried and tested pathway across the globe to retain the economic and social benefits, and manage the negative environmental, social health and safety impact of ASM activities.
He noted that artisanal miners are not only untrained but also ill-equipped and as such operate with crude implements which have dire consequences both on the environment and human safety.
He maintained that the ministry is assiduously working on processes to improve and support the progressive growth of Artisanal Miners and Small-Scale Miners, stressing that formalization is not a one– off process.
In his goodwill massage, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals and immediate past governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, described the mining industry as a revenue earner and the hope of Nigeria’s future.
Senator Al-Makura assured stakeholders in the mines and steel sector that the Senate is willing to make laws that would create a legal framework that would make the mining sector more vibrant and by so doing, create employment for Nigerians.
In his welcome address, the permanent secretary in the ministry, Edet Sunday Akpan, revealed that the Federal Government was working on a credit facility from the International Development Association (IDA) to fund the mineral sector support for Economic Diversification (MinDiver) project.
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