News Investigators/ The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development is partnering with the North Central Development Commission (NCDC) to unlock the vast mining potential of the North Central region.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake made this known when he received the management team of the commission led by its Managing Director, Cyril Tsenyil, in his office.
A statement on the visit was made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja by Lara Owoeye-Wise, Special Assistant on Media to the minister.
In the statement, Mr Alake said the initiative would help to create jobs through mineral processing and other value chain of the sector.
The minister said the North Central region had benefited from the Ministry’s local value-addition policy through the establishment of new mineral processing projects in the region.
He added that, through the policy, the mining sector had contributed more than two billion dollars to the country’s economy, while the President Bola Tinubu’s administration continued to develop regenerative sectors of the economy.
Mr Alake said that the policy was designed to encourage in-country processing and beneficiation of mineral resources, thereby reducing the export of raw materials while boosting industrial growth, job creation and overall economic diversification.
He said President Tinubu remained focused on building enduring legacies which included institutions such as the NCDC.
The minister also called for stronger collaboration between the ministry and other development commissions, highlighting the critical role of the solid minerals sector in driving economic growth.
He said the ministry would support NCDC in delivering on its constitutional mandate, while urging its leadership to prioritise strategic collaboration, transparency and effective project execution to maximise impact across the region.
According to the minister, more than 300 small-scale and artisanal miners have been organised into cooperatives, as part of ongoing persuasive efforts to integrate them into the formal sector while also addressing illegal mining .
“The President Bola Tinubu`s administration has, so far, arrested over 300 illegal miners while about 150 including foreigners are currently undergoing prosecution,” he said.
On his part, he Managing Director of the NCDC sought areas of collaboration between the two institutions.
Mr Tsenyil stressed that the partnership was essential to align efforts, leverage shared resources and drive sustainable development initiatives across the North Central region.
While highlighting the region’s rich mineral deposits, he proposed the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to drive development in the sub-sector.
NAN