Kadivest: 85 mining operational licenses granted to investors ― Commissioner

As part of efforts to boost the huge mineral deposits in Kaduna State, the state Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology, Dr Kabir Mato, has said 85 operational licenses were granted to investors.

He made this known while delivering his opening remarks at the Business Expo during the 7th Kaduna Investment Summit which kick off at the centenary Park in Kaduna on Thursday.

Mato noted that the state is blessed with huge mineral deposits found in all the 2023 local government areas of the state, saying, ” as of 2020, there were at least 85 mineral exploration licenses, 40 quarry licenses, 15 mining leases and three small-scale mining leases active within the State.

According to him, “Some mineral deposits available in commercial quantities within the State include gemstones, gold, tantalite, columbite, manganese, lithium and nickel.

He also said the state has a target for the mining sector to contribute 15 per cent to the state GDP and 18 per cent to state IGR by 2025.

In his remarks, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamali, said the variety of mineral resources are still untapped.

He then drew the attention of the state government to the need to showcase the state’s mineral deposits to the international community.

“I would like to draw the attention of Kaduna Investment (KadInvest 7:0) to the need to do more in the solid minerals sector. When I was serving in Malaysia, I invited Kaduna and other states in Nigeria to participate in certain areas of investment, especially the solid minerals sector; this is one area that I feel is still untapped.

“We have all the minerals that you can think of in this state, there is a need for Kaduna State to wake-up and join the international community because Thailand is the hub for expo on solid minerals, worldwide, people go to Thailand annually for the exhibition and that is where you meet strategic partners that will come and support what you do here, support in terms of machineries so that at least you have the technical knowhow on processing because we have a very large deposit of a variety of precious stones,” he declared.

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