Percy Onyeka
The Commonwealth Secretariat engaged in discussions with a Nigerian delegation led by Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake, during a recent courtesy visit.
The focal point of the meeting was the promising potential for profitable deep sea mining in Nigeria’s coastal waters.
Dr Alake, emphasizing the role of the solid minerals sector in Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts, expressed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recognition of it as a pivotal component.
The minister outlined a Seven-point Agenda, including initiatives like establishing a solid minerals company, collecting Big Data on mineral reserves, enhancing security for mines, and fostering socio-economic development in mining communities through effective community development agreements.
He said the Commonwealth, as an institution that has developed expertise over many years, should support the Tinubu administration’s efforts.
Responding, the Senior Director, Trade, Oceans and Natural Resources Department, Paul Kautoke commended the delegation for visiting the Commonwealth secretariat.
He said Nigeria, as a coastal country, could explore the profitable prospects of extraction of deep sea minerals such as copper, cobalt, nickel, gold and rare earth elements.
He noted that many Commonwealth countries in the Pacific region were making inroads in the deep sea mining sub-sector promising that the Commonwealth could assist to develop a policy for Nigeria.
Also addressing the forum, Director,Natural Resources, Victor Kitange, Trade and Investment Adviser, Opeyemi Abebe, Economic Adviser, Trade, Ocean and Natural Resources, Daniel Wilder and Adviser, Ocean Governance Allison Swaddling spoke about the progress achieved in deep sea mining expressing concerns that African countries were lagging behind.
Swaddling explained that there are online training programmes developed by the department, Abebe, who recalled working with the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council to develop capacity offered to provide similar assistance to get Nigeria. Into deep sea mining.
Responding, Alake said the discussion has brought a new dimension to mineral development and promised that the ministry would study the dimension of deep sea mining in collaboration with other ministries and put together a country proposal for further consideration.
- ATTENTION: Techrectory gives ₦5,000 monthly to our top readers, CLICK HERE to become a winner.
Techrectory with Agency Report.
