MONDAYBUSINESS Nigeria has been sleeping on its solid mineral assets – Kareem
Malam Tajudeen Kareem is the Chief Consultant at Proedge Limited, the firm behind the First Northern Nigeria Solid Minerals Fair and Workshop holding in Kaduna from tomorrow. He shares his thoughts in this interview.
What is the idea behind this event? W e conceived this platform basically to create awareness and wake all stakeholders from slumber. For too long, Nigeria has been sleeping on its vast endowments in steel and solid minerals. There is no state in this country that cannot survive on agriculture and solid minerals exploitation. It is unfortunate that we are enamoured by petrodollars. We pay lip service to developing agriculture.
We are snoring as far as solid minerals exploration is concerned. The Indians and the Chinese are proving smarter. They are smiling to the banks with the huge proceeds from solid minerals. It is also worrisome that at the international market, buyers cannot separate our gold, diamond and other minerals from the ones sourced in Ghana or Sierra Leone.
What is the scope of the fair and what are your objectives?
This is the maiden edition of this specialised trade fair. It is a fair and a workshop. As we sensitise stakeholders, we also want to improve the capacity of small scale and artisanal mining operators. We have invited all big time and small scale miners. All the 19 state governments and chambers of commerce are expected at the threeday event. We are also expecting policy makers led by the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, leaders in relevant agencies and those in the academia, including captains of relevant financial institutions.
The forum is basically a platform for sensitisation and creation of awareness, especially among governors and local council administrators, by showcasing the products and services in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector. We also intend to deepen the narrative on how and where to explore alternative sources of revenue for the states. We believe that through these strategies we can serve as catalysts in creating job opportunities through value addition and capacity building of prospective miners, processors, investors and sundry stakeholders.
We have invited experts and policy makers to help in creating awareness on best practices, application of technology and inherent environmental hazards. It is worrisome to see our people, young boys and girls, scooping metals and minerals with their bare hands. They are oblivious of the inherent dangers in that. Unfortunately government at the primary level has failed in curbing these harmful practices. Remember the lead poisoning in Zamfara and Niger states; we cannot continue to allow people die due to ignorance and neglect.
What are the prospects for attendance by those who are concerned?
The response has been quite encouraging. We have had pledges from some governors and their relevant officials. Federal Government agencies are also very enthusiastic in being part of this eye-opening forum. Specifically, those who have confirmed participation include the Bank of Industry, the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency. The private sector will also be properly represented through all chambers of commerce and the major mining companies across the North.
How will the small miners and traders benefit from this workshop?
We have made the condition for participation very friendly. This forum combines a trade fair setting with a workshop. At the end of the three-day event, all participants would have learnt best practice methods in harnessing solid mineral deposits and minimising inherent health hazards to individuals and communities; as well as curb environmental degradation and unhealthy practices that characterise illegal mining in many local communities.
The forum also seeks to energise states and local governments to organise and register artisanal miners operating in their domains in the bid to ensure safer mining environment and improve revenue both to individuals and the government.
It will also provide opportunity for miners to learn the benefits of cooperatives, safer mining processes, equipment leasing and financial support from sundry government agencies for improved productivity and profitability.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Fayemi, has been going round the states, propagating the need to sanitise the mining business.
Going forward, this forum will further enable participants to learn, first-hand, the operation of Federal Government’s minerals buying centres across the country. This will ensure that minerals are properly priced and sold in a structured market setting as opposed to underground sales that had robbed both the local miners and the country of the expected financial gains.