The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, on Tuesday said that the mining sector would soon become a major revenue earner for Nigeria.
He made the statement during a visit to the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), Kaduna.
He said that deliberate policies were underway to ensure that the sector becomes a major employer of labour.
The minister said that President Muhammadu Buhari had mandated the ministry to ensure that the sector attracted direct foreign investment.
“There are minerals that can be processed to manufacture finished goods that can generate employment.
“Government will create an enabling environment for the private sector to key into the sector so we can render more support,“ he said.
Fayemi stressed the need to support artisan miners to access funds to improve their crafts to generate more revenue.
“Miners in the sector mine and sell directly to middlemen at low price without any gain,“ the minister said.
He called on miners to adhere to the mineral and mining act for their benefit and that of their communities.
The Minister urged staff of the agency to rise to their responsibilities and show more zeal towards actualisation of government mandate.
The Director-General of the agency, Mr Alex Ohikere, appealed to the Federal Government to strengthen the agency’s manpower for effective service delivery.
He assured the minister that the agency would continue to add value to the geological data and solid minerals sector for optimum performance.
