The Minister of State Mines and Steel Development , Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah has again reiterated the Ministry’s determination to make good it’s efforts to achieve the mandate of diversifying the economy through the Mining Sector as it inaugurates a Joint Technical Committee with Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission on Funding Intervention Support to accelerate sustainable development in the nation’s Solid Mineral Sector.
The inauguration took place on Monday 17th of August 2020, at the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development Headquarters in Abuja.
Dr Ogah stated that the Committee would look at areas of synergy that would ensure the sector gets adequate funding for its operations, adding that when properly funded, the Solid Mineral Sector would not only act as alternative to oil and gas as source of revenue generation for the country, but would create jobs and wealth, increase the revenue base of the country, add to its foreign reserve, reduce poverty and provide industrialization and infrastructure to Nigerians.
He tasked the Committee to bring out a Blueprint that would look at ways of generating and actualising funding for the Solid Mineral Sector. stating that the funds needed for the Sector to succeed can be achieved, if the Ministry gets the full support of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
The Membership of the Committee are as follows:
i. Aliyu A. Abdulkadir – Chairman Solid Minerals Monitoring Committee (RMAFC)
ii. Rilwan Abarshi – Chairman Public Relations and Publicity Committee (RMAFC)
iii. Wenah Asondu Temple – Vice Chairman Solid Minerals Monitoring Committee (RMAFC)
iv. Rabiu Kabiru- Ag. Acting Director, Solid Minerals (RMAFC)
v. Tanimu Aliyu- Ag. Director, Fiscal Efficiency and Budget (RMAFC)
vi. Abakun Z.I Blessing – Assistant Director, (RMAFC)
vii. Sagir Hayatu- CRO Soild Minerals.
VIII. Ojeka Patrick O- Director Artisanal and Small Scale Miners.
ix. Mrs Okani Grace- Director, PRS
X. Olufehinti, O,J- DFA
xi. Engr. Frank Odoom- Ag. Director, Mining Inspectorate.
xii. PC MinDiver
xiii. Engr. Abduleazaq Garba- Director-General NGSA
xiv. Mrs Fatima Shinkafi- Executive Secretary SMDF
xv. Ms Amirah Waziri- TA HM
xvi. Dauda Habila TA HMS
xvii. Ogan Deisam TA PS
The terms of reference for the Committee are:
1. To determine the Ministry’s areas of needs requiring funding with verified costs and locations where applicable.
2. Identify sources for funding interventions to accelerate the development of the Solid Minerals Sector
3. Identify and establish the revenues being generated from the Solid Minerals value chain as revenue from the Solid Minerals Sector
4. Recommend ways the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) could provide funding support to the development of Solid Minerals Sector
5. Continuous Monitoring and Evaluation of the utilisation of the intervention funds.
In his reponse the Chairman of the Joint Technical Committee, Aliyu A. Abdulkadir, assured of the Commission’s collaboration to ensure that the Mining Sector gets the required funding for it to develop.
He promised that the Committee would work assiduously to achieve the objectives for which it was set up.
In his closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Sunday Akan, thanked the organizers for the promptness in setting up the Joint Technical Committee and assured of the Ministry’s support for its work.
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