FG tasks stakeholders in solid minerals on documentation
Solid minerals
By Alaba Olusola Oke
Akure, Dec. 10,2025( NAN)The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), has urged stakeholders in the solid minerals sector to formalise their activities to promote national development.
The Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, Mrs Nonye Ayeni, stated this on Wednesday at the Strategic Programme on Formalisation of Solid Minerals for Export Competitiveness in Akure.
Ayeni, who was represented by the State Coordinator of NEPC, Mrs Florence Okafor, said that there were immense prospects in the sector for economic growth if only all activities in the sector were formalised.
“ I urge all stakeholders to fully embrace strategies needed to reposition this sector. Let us build a solid minerals ecosystem that supports prosperity , transparency, sustainability and export growth.
“ Let us commit to formalisation as a pathway to competitiveness , value creation and national development,” she said.
The NEPC CEO added that the progarmme was aimed to transform the solid minerals sector into a major source of national revenue and industrial growth.
She reiterated the NEPC’s unwavering commitment to support exporters, strengthening value chain and building Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
In a lecture titled: “ The Imperatives of Formalisation of Artisanal Mining for Development” Mrs Oyinkan Duke, said that 85 per cent activities in the sector were illegal.
Duke, the Chief Trade Promotion Officer in the Department of Solid Minerals Directorate, NEPC , Abuja, explained that NEPC had noticed wrong perceptions of bottleneck in getting licence for mining activities.
She said that NEPC was working with State Committee on Export Promotion to capture minings activities in each state and encouraged miners to get clusters and discourage export of raw minerals to enhance value chains.
According to her, NEPC is encouraging people to discover solid minerals in their state for national gains, saying licensing has been streamlined.
Also speaking, the Special Senior Assistant on Mining to the State Governor,Mrs Folawe Sipasi-Aluko, said that stakeholders in the sector must have genuine license for their activities.
Sipasi-Aluko regretted that there were many illegal mining carting away a lot of money that should have been used by government, asking NEPC to collaborate with relevant organisations to address illegality in the sector.
Similarly, Mr Toyin Oni, the Permanent Secretary, the state Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative Services, said that the programme aligned with the ministry’s vision to drive economic growth and development.
Oni commended NEPC for its strong commitment to promoting the non-oil sector of the country.
He said that formalisation of all activities in the sector would enhance export competitiveness and promote sustainable development.( NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
OKEO/KOO
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Edited by Kevin Okunzuwa
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