NEW BOARDS New boards have been appointed to four agencies and parastatals under the Nigerian Mines and Steel Development Ministry in an effort to grow the mining sector
Four agencies and parastatals under the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (NFMMSD) had their boards reconstituted with specific mandates to assist in the growth of the mining sector in Nigeria, in March.
The four entities are the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), the National Metallurgical Development Agency (NMDA) and the Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG).
At the formal inauguration of the newly constituted boards in March, Minister of Mines and Steel Development Dr Kayode Fayemi stated that the Nigerian government is committed to transparency and accountability in corporate governance. “I must therefore emphasise that the role of the governing boards is to provide effective oversight and strategic advisory to the respective management teams of these entities,” Fayemi stated.
He further highlighted that the event “signals another important milestone in efforts to consolidate on the gains of the administration’s reforms in the Nigerian mining industry”. Fayemi said this was evidenced by the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics that indicated the strong contribution of the mining sector to the evolving Nigerian economy.
NGSA was established by the NGSA Act in 2006 to address the fundamental lack of geosciences data available in the country. The lack of data is “a problem that has historically undermined the growth potential of the sector,” claimed Fayemi.
The new members of the NGSA board are: Honourable Akeem Olatoye, Pastor Adamu Yakubu, Lukman Owolewa, Ikenna Ihezuo, Alhaji Saliu Woru, Masud Yusuf, Patrick Ojeka, Makanjuola Afolayan, Akinyemi Oyefeso, Alonge John Adesanya, and Alex Nwegbu. The new chairperson of the board is Rt Hon Emma Bassey.
NSRMEA was established to tackle the basic mineral raw materials of the steel industry in the country. The new chairperson of the board is Dr Yomi Finnih, while the rest of the board includes Dr Ademola Onifade, Alh Yerima Bularafa, Abdulrasaq Abubakar Garba, Victor Ihebinke, Ime Ekenyong Ekrikpo, Sanusi Ashiru, HL Kadiri and Rabi Umar Sodangi.
NMDA was established by Decree 50, 1992, in an effort to tackle the issues of mineral beneficiation and value addition research. Barrister Sebastine Ibezim is the new chairperson of the board. Kunle Dada, Martin Bisong, Lanre Adesina, Victor Ihebinike, Suleiman Akaaba, Olasupo Kolawole, Christopher Gabriel and Mbaya Emmanuel Ishaku constitute the board.
COMEG, established by the COMEG Act No 40, 1990, has the purpose of regulating professional practice within the sector. Chief Godspower Okpoi is the new chairperson of the board. The rest of the board includes K Wuyep, Alex Nwegbu, Silas Dada, Simeon Abam, Benjamin Okwudili, Dr Abubakar Garba Ilya and Adedoja Rosamund Ojelabi.
Fayemi highlighted that the mining sector remains one of the crucial pillars of the federal government’s recently launched Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (2017-2020). The mining sector’s contribution to the gross domestic profit is projected to grow from N103-billion in 2015 to N141-billion in 2020 at an average growth rate of 8.54%, according to the plan.
Targets for the Nigerian mining sector also include the facilitation of coal-fired power plants to contribute to the Nigerian energy sector and help bridge the energy deficits in the country, the production of geological maps of the entire country by 2020 on a scale of 1:100 000, as well as the sustainable integration of artisanal miners into the formal sector, Fayemi outlined.