THE Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in collaboration with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) is set to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) captured in the African Mining Vision (AMV).
Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Honourable Abubakar Bawa Bwari stated this at the one-day Validation of the African Mining Vision Gap Analysis Report organised by the Ministry in conjunction with UNDP, held at the NICCON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, on Thursday.
He explained that the workshop was geared towards identifying the gaps between the Roadmap and the AMV with a view to promoting its domestication in Nigeria.
The collaborative effort, according to him, was geared towards transforming the African Continent from being a destination of the world’s raw material and consumers of imported products to one that optimally harnesses its God- given resources to ensure the economic well being of the citizens.
The minister said the AMV action plan was centred on nine important clusters, which if pursued vigorously would become the turning point for African economies in general and Nigeria in particular.
According to him, “the clusters include Mineral Rents and Management, Geological and Mining Formation Systems, Human and Institutional capacities, Artianal and Small Scale Mining, Research and Development, Mineral Sector Governance, Environmental and social Issues and Linkages and Diversification which are guiding tools for the prudent, transparent and efficient development and management of Africa’s Mineral resources.”
He then commended the UNDP and all stakeholders for their support towards the sustainable development of the solid minerals sector.
Honourable Bwari, therefore, assured of government’s commitment to the promotion of investments in the sector. He also called on all potential investors to come and do business in Nigeria.
The UNDP has also adopted a three stage approach for the domestication of the AMV, which include conducting studies to investigate to what extent national mining policies are aligned with the AMV; convening a stakeholder dialogue with all key stakeholders in the sector as well as developing an action plan and communication strategy for the policy reforms necessary to align national policies with the AMV.
Earlier, the Country Director, UNDP Nigeria, Dr Samuel Bwalya, whose message was delivered by the Senior Economic Adviser, UNDP, Mr Ojijo Odhiambo noted that Africa was blessed with abundant natural resources but was yet to benefit from them.
He said AMV was adopted in 2009 by the AU Heads of State to promote good governance, develop human capacity and foster transparency and accountability among others.
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