By Kasim Sumaina
The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has inaugurated a 17-Man Joint Technical Committee to accelerate development in the nation’s solid mineral sector.
The Minister of State Mines and Steel Development , Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, during the inauguration in Abuja, reiterated the ministry’s determination to make good it’s efforts to achieve the mandate of diversifying the economy through the mining Sector.
Ogah stated that the committee would look at areas of synergy that would ensure the sector gets adequate funding for its operations, adding that when properly funded, the solid mineral sector would not only act as alternative to oil and gas as source of revenue generation for the country, but would create jobs and wealth, increase the revenue base of the country, add to its foreign reserve, reduce poverty and provide industrialisation and infrastructure to Nigerians.
He urged the committee to develop a blueprint that would look at ways of generating funding for the solid mineral sector.
He stated that the funds needed for the sector to succeed could be achieved, if the ministry gets the full support of the RMAFC.
Some members of the committee include Aliyu Abdulkadir, Chairman Solid Minerals Monitoring Committee (RMAFC); Rilwan Abarshi – Chairman Public Relations and Publicity Committee (RMAFC); Wenah Asondu Temple – Vice Chairman Solid Minerals Monitoring Committee (RMAFC); Rabiu Kabiru- Ag. Acting Director, Solid Minerals (RMAFC); Tanimu Aliyu- Ag. Director, Fiscal Efficiency and Budget (RMAFC),Abakun Z.I Blessing – Assistant Director, (RMAFC).
The minister further noted that committee was to determine the ministry’s areas of needs requiring funding with verified costs and locations where applicable.
“Identify sources for funding interventions to accelerate the development of the solid minerals sector, identify and establish the revenues being generated from the solid minerals value chain as revenue from the solid mineral sector
“Recommend ways the RMAFC could provide funding support to the development of Solid Minerals Sector and continuous monitoring and evaluation of the utilisation of the intervention funds.”
In his response the Chairman of the Joint Technical Committee, Abdulkadir, assured of the Commission’s collaboration to ensure that the mining sector gets the required funding for it to develop.
He promised that the committee would work assiduously to achieve the objectives for which it was set up.
