The Federal Government (FG) has revealed that it will be partnering with the United Kingdom (UK) to bring about the development of minerals in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, made this known in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Wednesday in Abuja.
He noted that a joint technical working group will, through the partnership, be established for the development of critical mineral deposits in the country.
According to him, partnering with the UK government will help reduce the overdependence the country has on the oil sector and make mining compete favourably with the sector in contributing to Nigeria’s gross domestic product.
Alake further stated that the partnership will culminate in investments in the mining sector value chain, adding that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is determined to improve the ease of doing business in the mining sector.
He noted that this will be done through the establishment of a new security architecture for natural resources and stated that Tinubu’s administration will also establish an efficient governance structure by creating a Nigerian Mining Corporation led by the private sector.
Recall that Alake and the UK Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, had earlier met on the sidelines of the Mines and Money conference in London in December 2023.
The Minister also reiterated that the government is committed to the sanitation and repositioning of the mining sector, stating that it is aimed at boosting its capacity to contribute substantially to the revenue of the country.
