Miners export 35m tonnes of unprocessed mineral annually

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite said about 35 million metric tonnes of unprocessed mineral products are exported annually.

Adegbite who stated this in Abuja at a media session ahead of the Nigerian Solid Minerals Downstream workshop holding in Abuja in December, said the development of the Nigerian Downstream Mineral Policy will stem the exports to create jobs and wealth.

Represented by his assistant on Special Duties, Mr Sunny Ekozin, the minister said the policy strategy is to foster sustainable mineral development aimed at facilitating and promoting value added mineral products for both local and international market while addressing access to finance and mineral sector investment climate.

"We shall stem the exports of jobs and wealth by unwittingly exporting over 35m metric tonnes of unprocessed mineral products annually.

“We shall open up this sector to genuine indigenous and foreign investors to actively participate in the downstream licensing of mineral plants," he said.

He added that downstream mineral policy will trigger the nation with a clear diversification blueprint in a sustainable manner, especially for revamping of the Ajaokuta Steel Company and the effective harnessing of the abundant mineral endowment across the country.

He said the workshop which is in partnership with the Lagos Business School will help to sensitise stakeholders on the value chains in the sector to massive job generation and industrialization.