BY FESTUS OKOROMADU
The Federal Government has been charged to focus on harnessing enormous opportunities in the mining industry to help boost the nation’s economy.
President, Gold Miners Processors, Producer Association, Auwal Bununu, who gave the advice while speaking with journalists in Abuja, said the mining industry has the potential to create jobs and generate revenue for the government as well as develop the host environment.
According to him, the mining master plan, if effectively implemented, will reduce poverty, increase youth employment, provide infrastructure, healthcare, food security, environmental management and climate change, adding that the sector can stimulate industrial growth as a local source of raw materials and enhance the quality of lives in rural communities.
“We need the resources to address all these problems, as the government needs to develop mining industries, to be able to achieve economic development.
“Through their direct operations, mining companies can generate profits, employment and economic growth.
“Partnering with government and civil society is to ensure that benefits of mining extend beyond the life of the mine itself.
“The mining industry has a positive impact on the natural environment, climate change, and social capital,’’ he said.
Bununu said the association was evolving private sector partnership for mineral and metal development, adding that the effort would generate revenue, attract investment as well as promote trading in the country.
He said that the association had reached out to almost all the mining countries to achieve its goals.
Bununu said that the association had also gathered all the mining operators to one umbrella, adding that the essence was to transform and diversify the country`s economies.
“Mining-dependent countries need to transform and diversify their economies, achieve higher living standards and reduce poverty and manage expectations of an increasingly informed population.
“That is what we are trying to ensure that we achieve the objectives. We want to make sure we leave a decent legacy to future generations,” he said.
The mining association boss called on private sectors to intensively participate in the mining activities and ensure they collaborate strongly with the government for a thriving industry.
