(From left: Gov. Darius Dickson Ishaku, Governor of Nigeria’s Taraba State; Hon. Babatunde Raji Fashola, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Works & Housing; and Kwame Addo-Kufuor, President of the ECOWAS federation of Chambers of Mines.
President of the ECOWAS Federation of Chambers of Mines (EFEDCOM), Kwame Addo-Kufuor, has enjoined large-scale mining companies in the sub-region to promote innovative mining practices that protect the environment and enhance the livelihoods of people.
This, he said, will promote responsible mining practices in West Africa.
Mr. Addo-Kufuor disclosed this while speaking at Nigeria’s Mining Week celebration held in Abuja from 16th -19th October, 2017.
The event, which is the 2nd edition, brought together captains of the mining sector, entrepreneurs and businesses from other sectors of the Nigerian economy and the sub-region.
The Nigeria Mining Week celebration comes on the heels of the recent phenomenal development of the minerals sector in West Africa’s economic powerhouse.
Mr. Addo-Kufuor praised the collaboration between the Miners Association of Nigeria and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development which put together the event and emphasized the benefits of a well-developed mining sector for Nigeria’s economy.
He stated that “there is the need to look beyond tax revenues and to harness linkages between mining and other sectors of the Nigerian economy in order to drive the country’s industrialization agenda.”
He stressed the need for clear and consistent mining laws and regulations as a critical ingredient in enhancing confidence and attracting investment into the sector.
Touching on illegal mining, Mr Addo-Kufuor explained the complex and regional nature of the problem by sharing experiences from Ghana and steps being taken by government and other key actors to address the problem. He called for private sector collaboration with governments in the sub-region in exploring alternative livelihood opportunities to help address the challenge.
Mr. Addo-Kufuor is also the President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines.
On his part, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, stressed the importance of mining in the infrastructural development of the nation. Pursuant to this, Hon Fashola stated that: “the Federal Government is seeking to invest US$5.9 billion in the building of a 3,000 megawatts hydro-electric dam. Most of the funds required would be spent on materials from quarries and this would invariably generate employment for the teeming youth.”
He averred that although the cost of such a project may seem very daunting, the major beneficiaries would be the mineral producers and miners across the country, as well as the Federal Government as a whole.
He was optimistic developing greater linkages with other sectors of the Nigerian economy will go a long way to improve the lives of the teeming youth through well paid employment opportunities.
He urged the mining companies to collaborate on identifying common innovative technologies that can be deployed to improve the efficiencies in their operations.
Contributing to the discussion, Gov. Darius Dickson Ishaku, Governor of Nigeria’s Taraba State, criticized the issuance of licences from the federal capital without prior consultation with the local governments, and warned that as governor, he will prevent operators with such licences from engaging in any form of mining in his area.
Gov. Ishaku further called for a ban on the importation of minerals when such minerals are available in his state and could be exploited for local use.