The minister of solid minerals development, Mr Dele Alake, has pledged the ministry’s full support to the South-South Development Commission (SSDC) towards harnessing the region’s solid mineral resources for investment, jobs creation and sustainable development.
In a statement on Tuesday by Lara Owoeye Wise, the special assistant to the minister on media, Alake made the commitment when the director-general of the commission, Ms. Usoro Offiong Akpabio, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the ministry in Abuja.
The minister said the engagement was particularly significant given the federal government’s broader agenda of using the geopolitical development commissions established by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to accelerate development and unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
He noted that the South-South, known for oil and gas reserves, was strategically positioned in the nation’s diversification drive, because it possesses significant deposits of solid minerals.
Alake said the ministry’s reforms were repositioning the sector to be a major driver of industrialisation through local value addition, responsible mining, investment promotion and stronger regulation.
He highlighted the progress recorded since the commencement of the reforms, including a sharp increase in revenue accruing to the federal government from the sector and more than $2.6 billion in Foreign Direct investment, (FDI) alongside the emergence of mineral processing facilities that have gainfully employed Nigerians across the country.
The minister also encouraged the South-South states to take advantage of the federal government’s framework for direct state participation in mining through State-owned Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and properly obtained mining titles.
According to him, “Several states have already secured mining licence approvals through this framework.”
He however cautioned against unilateral state policies on mining, noting that regulatory consistency is essential to giving investors confidence and avoid multiple or conflicting authorities in the sector.
“We have a commonality of objective; we just need to harmonise our strategies and tactics to achieve it,” the minister said, assuring the commission of the ministry’s cooperation.
Earlier, Ms. Akpabio said the SSDC was seeking a practical partnership with the ministry around sustainable mining, environmental innovation, investment and job creation. She said the commission would align its activities with the ministry’s policies and work with state authorities and security agencies, particularly in the training and formalisation of artisanal miners.
The minister and SSDC leadership also agreed on the importance of regional stakeholder and investment engagements to showcase specific mineral opportunities and connect investors with projects across the South-South.
Replying, Alake said the Ministry would involve the SSDC in such engagements, describing the commission as a potential driver of deeper investment and development in the region.
This engagement is part of a growing collaboration between the ministry and the geopolitical development bodies established by the Tinubu administration.
Similar engagements have recently seen regional development stakeholders, including the North West Development Coalition to seek partnerships with the ministry in order to leverage Nigeria’s mineral wealth for regional economic development.
The collaboration underscores government’s emerging strategy of linking Nigeria’s mineral resources with the new regional development architecture to drive investment, industrialisation, employment and sustainable development across the geopolitical zones.
