The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has emphasised the significance of Nasarawa State in advancing the nation’s mining sector.
The Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Segun Tomori, said in a press release that Alake was speaking while receiving Nasarawa State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Sule, and the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, in his office on Friday.
The minister affirmed that Nasarawa has been a formidable partner in harnessing the state’s vast minerals potential for national development.
He said: “Lithium, for instance, is quite massive in Nasarawa State. It is like an epicenter of mining in Nigeria, which is why it is important for us to always discuss with the governor and collaborate with him to scale up mining activities in the state.
“I have received very warm and robust cooperation from him and the minister of defence, all centred around the development of our solid minerals in Nigeria.”
Alake noted that the reforms and efforts to promote the mining sector over the last 17 months have begun to bear fruit, with global players increasingly expressing interest in Nigeria’s mining industry.
In his remarks, Governor Sule commended the minister for effectively driving President Bola Tinubu’s agenda on mining development.
However, he acknowledged that challenges such as insecurity persist in some areas, prompting the need for further collaboration with Alake and the minister of defence.
He said: “The purpose of this meeting is to work together and find solutions to security challenges, so that mining operations can go on, unhindered.”
The governor revealed that lithium factories in the state are operating optimally, with additional factories under construction, highlighting the imperative of ongoing collaboration with the private sector to strengthen the mining value chain in the state.
On his part, Badaru reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to eradicating banditry and other criminal activities nationwide, stressing that efforts have already led to the resumption of mining exploration activities in Zamfara.
He said: “The bandits are already on the run. The military will not rest until the country is fully secured.
“The President has given us a clear directive to end insecurity in all parts of the country by the end of the year.
“The National Security Adviser (NSA), the Chief of Defence Staff, and our team are working round the clock to actualise that target.”
