FG using mining to accelerate community development — Expert

The Chairman of a mining company, Gem Giant Limited, Dr Babatope Agbeyo, has said the Federal Government is using mining to accelerate community development.

He said this after successfully signing a Community Development Agreement (CDA) with the Faforiji Community in Osun State, Nigeria, regarding mining activities.

The CDA establishes a formal partnership between Gem Giant Ltd and the Faforiji community, ensuring that the people of Faforiji and its environs benefit directly from the company’s exploration and mining activities through various socio-economic initiatives, including infrastructure development, employment opportunities, community empowerment programmes and sustainable mining activities.

He narrated that the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Mining Cadastral Office ensured that all regulatory procedures were strictly adhered to and no special privileges given, reinforcing the government’s dedication to fairness and accountability.

Agbeyo appreciated the office of the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development for the laudable and commendable efforts in advancing the mining sector and fostering economic growth.

“The Federal Government is using mining to accelerate community development. We are grateful to them for creating a transparent system that ensures due process is followed in the mining sector.

“Despite being a son of the soil, we underwent the same rigorous processes as any other company, which shows the government’s dedication to fairness and accountability in resource management,” he stated.

On the rationale behind the company, Agbeyo stated that his motivation stems from a deep sense of patriotism and a strong desire to drive growth and development in the community he was raised in, using the resources and potential that already exist.

He said the company is not just about business but about empowering the community.

Agbeyo pinpointed the company’s deployment technologies and the necessary steps needed to maximise benefits for their people.

“Our driving force in doing this is patriotism! We are passionate about change and growth for the community and are committed to exploring how we can develop it using the resources and potential that already exist.

“Gem Giant is not just about business but about empowering the community.

“Over the past few years, we have seen how the community has played a role in this journey; we understand the technologies and the necessary steps needed to maximise benefits for our people. Regardless of the outcome, we believe our collective efforts will contribute to the greater good.” He said.

The Chairman reiterated the company’s dedication to ethical exploration practices and community development, reassuring the community of its continued commitment to their development as it has been for several years prior.

He assured the people of Faforiji and its environs that the company will uphold its commitments as outlined in the CDA, and exploration and mining activities will take place peacefully, professionally and with the involvement of all stakeholders in adherence to all government regulations and best global practices.

In the entourage with his chiefs, the King of the Faforiji community, Oba (Dr) Adebayo Faforiji, lauded the company for being bold and deliberate towards salvaging the community with its discovery of mining activity’s potentials in commercial quantities.

Adebayo prayed for the discovery of gold deposits and other minerals that will benefit the company and the community.

“We are very happy and delighted that, although a lot of people have been speculating that there are gold deposits in almost all of Ijesha land, we have not had anybody that volunteered to come to our area to help us find out if we have them in commercial quantities or not.

“We thank God that today we are welcoming Gem Giant, a company that is owned by the son of the soil, born, bred and raised in Faforiji who has volunteered to go round the community to find out if we have commercial quantities of mineral resources.

“We are praying to God that after signing the agreement today and giving him the approval to go into those areas, he can successfully find gold deposits and other minerals that will benefit the company and the community,” Oba said.

The Community Development Agreement (CDA) was presented in English and thoroughly explained to the community by representatives from the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. To ensure full comprehension, the agreement was also translated into the local dialect.

Representatives and officials from the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Federal Ministry of Environment, Osun State Chapter, and Osun State Ministry of Environment were in full attendance and actively participated in the event.

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