By David Agba Abuja
Th e First Northern Nigeria Solid Minerals Fair and Workshop has ended with participants calling for a reposition of the sub-sector to attract investors. According to them, “specifi cally, Nigeria has four minerals adjudged to be world class. Th ese are Bitumen, Coal, Gold, and Barite. Other minerals of value found in the country include lead, zinc, tantalite, iron ore, limestone, dolomite, marble and feldspar which are either actively being mined or mined on a small (artisanal) scale. Collectively put together, the four industrial minerals have a combined reserve estimate of over one billion tons.”
A communique jointly signed by Director General of Kaduna Chamber of Commerce Industries Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA), Usman G. Saulawa and Chief Consultant, Proedge Ltd Tajudeen Kareem, both organizers of the fair, enjoined state and local governments to seize available opportunities in the sector to create jobs and enhance wealth through the formation of Special Purpose Vehicles. Th e fair which held in Kaduna from May 16 to 18, at the Conference Hall, Kaduna Investment and Trade Centre, Zaria Road, Kaduna, encouraged local governments to obtain mineral titles to operate, extract, benefi ciate and create jobs especially for our teeming young population.
“Th e small scale mining operation is characterized by lack of skilled manpower, lack of capital, dependence on imported inputs and equipment and spares, lack of enabling investment climate and lack of information on mineable deposits. “Participants agreed that all parts of the country are richly endowed with vast and varied solid minerals. States in Northern Nigeria especially, have huge mineral deposits if properly tapped and developed through value addition, could accelerate economic diversifi cation, create jobs and wealth for the people. “Participants agreed on the need to adequately harness and develop these mineral resources in the bid to attain economic diversifi cation and depend less on revenue from the oil and gas sector.
“Th e present mining techniques are crude, laborious, unprofi table and not environmentally friendly. Reliable exploratory data are required for proper design of mining plan. Exploitation of some of these resources is being done manually and in most cases by informal or artisanal miners, using inappropriate technology. Th e need for mechanized exploitation cannot therefore be overemphasized.Technical and skilled manpower is highly needed to make the sector viable and profi table.”
