Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, says the federal government will diversify from hydrocarbon to make the minerals sector a major contributor to Nigeria’s gross domestic product.
According to a statement on Monday by the ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, Mr Alake dropped this hint when he received a delegation of the Miners Association of Nigeria, led by their National President, Dele Ayanleke.
The delegation comprised representatives of the VUKA group, co-organiser of the forthcoming Nigeria Mining Week and Price Waterhouse Coopers, the foremost accounting firm.
Mr Alake stated that Nigeria has been operating a mono-cultural economy for long, noting that the shift to solid minerals is overdue.
He said: ” Our vision is to make solid minerals our pride, a major contributor to Nigeria’s gross domestic product.
We will diversify from oil, to exploit it for the survival of Nigeria. This is our own contribution to climate change”.
The minister emphasised that the ministry is committed to making requisite policies that will sanitise and rejig the regulatory framework and make it more conducive for local and foreign investors to play.
