CURRENT CHALLENGES IN ARTISINAL MINING SECTOR IN NIGERIA

The minister of mine and steal development in Nigeria DR KAYODE FAYEMI has identified the challenge of finance for operation in the Mining sector. DR KAYODE FAYEMI who stated this during a tour to some mining site in Kaduna; he said his ministry and bank of industry was working hard towards offering loan facilities to real sector operators.

According to the Correspondent reporter of the event who said that much of the Nigerian mineral resources are buried in the inter land; in the very difficult terrain which follows network. The situation perhaps explains why the mining sector had been neglected over times. To reverse the trend and fix the sector on the right part, DR KAYODE FAYEMI ignored all odds and visited some licensed operators in Kaduna from where he assured the government’s intervention in the areas of low facilities and capacity buildings for artisans. According to DR KAYODE FAYEMI who explained that the board covered people in the rural areas that are involving in the artisanal mining; a lot of citizens from all our approach to integrate them forced by ensuring that at the state level, that each state registers them and helps them into co-operative and also providing them with the necessary support which Kaduna is already pioneering a very unique approach to this order by even registering them peacefully.

The issue of illegal mining which had been recurring decimally in the sector was what the minister condemned at the good mining site in the Benigwari, at the scene; some unlicensed operators were seen using heavy equipment for exploration. A situation DR KAYODE FAYEMI said would be dealt with the site seedling, according DR KAYODE FAYEMI who expressed his dissatisfaction over the site by saying that his administration cannot condone or tolerate that kind of activities. He also said that if mining is to grow, you cannot give a license to a legitimate operator who comes on field and meets the current ugly site of activities that undermines their own work which they legitimately paid for; of which he had condemned already by saying that it is not right and he is not going to condone such act.

The commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources in Kaduna state MRS. AMINA SHISHUADE said the level of artisanal mining in the state was alarming; according to MRS. AMINA SHISHUADE who explains that what they are seeing there are very enlightening and surprising which is the level of the artisanal mining going on in the state and which she explained is a huge one.  she finally advised that this is an area that the state government and the federal government should look into more and with a view of assisting the projects.

A miner MR. NUO IYA attested to the fact that the mining sector has a lot to offer to improve Nigerian’s economy. High point of the Minister’s visit was a courtesy call he paid to the EMIR OF BENIGWARI ALHJI ZUBERU JUBLEE, (The Gwari the Second) who pleaded with the federal government to fix the Kaduna Benigwari and Ilorin road to attract more investors to his emirate council.

NEWS REPORTER: ONYIA EMEKA HARFORD

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