Stakeholders in the mining sector are to converge on Abuja to brainstorm on how to further enhance the development of the sector as, ministry of mines and steel development holds its first ever edition of the national council on mining and minerals resources development.
The event, which will hold at the Nigerian Air-Force Conference Centre at Kado from Tuesday, September 12 to Thursday, September 14, is expected to bring together state commissioners of mining and mineral development, members of the senate and house of representatives committees on solid minerals, as well as those from the academia, investors, and leaders of mining communities, among others.
According to information obtained from the ministry, the minister of mines and steel development, Kayode Fayemi, approved the hosting of the council meeting on an annual basis, following a previous approval by Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The council is expected to bring all stakeholders in the mining sector under one umbrella to discuss and brainstorm on matters relating to enhancing the sector.
The recommendations of the council would assist the ministry to review, strengthen and/or initiate robust policies for the mining sector of the national economy.
Membership of the council is drawn from ministers, as well as commissioners in charge of relevant state ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).
Also included are those from the legislature, security agencies, tertiary institutions, industry players, labour unions, professional associations, civil society organisations, and artisanal and small scale miners.
With the theme “Enhancing Mineral Resource Governance towards Economic Growth and Diversification,” stakeholders and interested members of the public are expected to submit memoranda of not more than five pages in hard and soft copies on any topic in some chosen areas.
The chosen topics include Minerals sector governance: challenges of federal/state co-operation, and Illegal mining and export challenges: policy recommendations.
Others are Mines field security challenges: social and environmental concerns, Creating effective regulation and legal framework for sectoral development, and Strategies for the implementation of the mining road map for national development, among others.
