Theft has crept into the country’s solid mineral reserve
One the administration’s Seven Point Agenda is to tap into the mining sector of the economy.
Illegal mining is a menace in Nigeria and the government is on a mission to an abrupt end to it.
This act and its perpetrators syphon the minerals to foreign countries and pay for their personal gains. In a bid to curb the theft and smuggling, the unit was formed. The Mine Marshals is a paramilitary squad extracted from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
This was launched by Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, on Thursday in Abuja. Alake claims that potential investors would not be granted mining licences unless they have concrete intentions to add value to minerals.
In furtherance to establishing this mission he positively referred to his position in the continent as the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG). “We will no longer permit or licence any company that wishes to enter the mineral sector without providing us with a strategy for local value addition, such as processing or refining; this has a multiplier effect on the economy,” he declared. It creates jobs right away, instead of just a handful of individuals shipping lithium, gold, and similar resources to other countries. Processing these minerals in Nigeria will increase their value and benefit the people who live there.
By Chidimma NWAFOR
