Olubadan backs grassroots sensitisation on mining reforms

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, has thrown his weight behind intensified grassroots sensitisation on ongoing reforms in the mining sector.

He stated this during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, in Abuja.

The monarch’s visit to the ministry’s headquarters underscored growing collaboration between traditional institutions and the Federal Government aimed at deepening public awareness of reforms and fostering harmony between host communities and mining operators.

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In a statement issued by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, the ministry said the engagement reflects the critical role of traditional rulers in driving community-level understanding of government policies in the solid minerals sector.

“The courtesy visit by His Imperial Majesty, the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, underscores the importance of sustained engagement between traditional institutions and the Federal Government in deepening grassroots sensitisation on ongoing reforms in the mining sector,” the statement read.

It added that the discussions also centred on “fostering harmony and reducing conflicts between host communities and mining operators, in line with the ministry’s commitment to responsible and community-friendly mining practices.”

According to Tomori, the ministry views traditional institutions as strategic partners in ensuring that reforms in the solid minerals industry translate into tangible socio-economic benefits for local communities while maintaining peace and stability in mining areas.