Capital market critical pillar to sustainable mining – Alake

….as investors person heavy insights into Nigeria’s coagulated minerals sector

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, Wednesday, maintained that the superior marketplace remains a captious pillar to sustainable mining successful Nigeria.

Alake who was represented by his Senior Adviser connected Mining and Policy, Amira Adamu Waziri, stated this astatine the NASD–SMDF Webinar, which had implicit 200 participants, was organised by NASD Plc and Solid Minerals Development Fund, SMDF, organised the meeting, and was moderated by Oludare Fajimolu.

He besides highlighted efforts by the Tinubu-led medication done the Ministry, which helium said the 7-point Agenda for the Ministry is yielding affirmative results successful little than 2 years of the Tinubu administration, which includes; Establishment of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company; Creation of the Mines Marshalls; Comprehensive Geological Data Acquisition; Formalization of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM); Promotion of Value Addition and Local Processing, to trim earthy exports and stimulate downstream industrialization; Attracting Large-Scale Foreign and Local Investment; and Robust Stakeholder Engagement.

He added that these pillars usher each of the Ministry’s existent efforts toward gathering a world-class mining ecosystem successful Nigeria.

NASD Plc, successful strategical concern with the SMDF, is hosting the 2nd high-level webinar, titled ‘Understanding the Mining Asset Development Cycle’, designed to supply stakeholders with an in-depth knowing of the assorted stages and requirements for successfully processing mining assets successful Nigeria.

He said: “Today’s theme, ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Potentials Through the Capital Market’, is intimately aligned with the Ministry’s imaginativeness of gathering a sustainable and investment-driven mining sector—one that serves arsenic a instauration for economical transformation.

“Nigeria is blessed with an bonzer endowment of coagulated mineral resources—over 44 commercially viable minerals, ranging from golden and lithium to tin, lead-zinc, barite, and uncommon world elements. These resources are dispersed crossed the country’s six geopolitical zones, positioning mining arsenic a genuinely nationalist sector.

“Yet, contempt this wealth, the assemblage presently contributes little than 1% to nationalist GDP. The reasons are good known—insufficient geological data, anemic infrastructure, informal operations, amerciable mining, and a important financing gap.

“It is this financing spread that today’s speech seeks to address—by exploring however Nigeria’s superior marketplace tin service arsenic a transmission for patient, long-term, and strategical concern successful the coagulated minerals worth chain.

“Let maine emphasise: the superior marketplace is simply a captious pillar successful the travel toward a sustainable mining sector.

“Through the superior market, we can:- Mobilise semipermanent financing for exploration and task development;- Support inferior mining companies to list, rise funds, and standard operations;- Facilitate securitisation and monetisation of geological assets;- Channel organization superior into infrastructure and processing hubs.”

He besides added that, “The Ministry remains committed to inclusive and strategical stakeholder engagement. Nigeria stands astatine the threshold of a mining renaissance. We person the mineral resources. We person the governmental will. What we present necessitate is the capital, technology, and partnerships to unlock this potential.”

Meanwhile, the Director General, DG, Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, MCO, Engr Obadiah Simon Nkom, arsenic 1 of the assets persons spoke connected wherefore investors should instrumentality vantage of reconnaissance portion speaking connected ‘Licensing Processes and Requirements of a Mining Asset’, said, “For Investors: Start with reconnaissance — it is the smartest, lowest-cost introduction into Nigeria’s mineral wealth. Opportunities: Huge untapped areas inactive unfastened for reconnaissance successful Nigeria. Affordable introduction constituent for investors compared to full-scale mining.

“MCO arsenic the cardinal Regulator, shall proceed digitalizing and enforcing standards.

“For Communities: Understand reconnaissance arsenic the opening of shared prosperity, not exploitation.”

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