No Nation Achieves Industrialization In Disregard Of Mineral Wealth, Says Engr. Nkom, President NMGS

NMGS President, Engr. Obadiah S. Nkom

By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja

The President of the Nigeria Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), Engr.Obadiah Simon Nkom has underscored the need for harnessing the nation’s mineral wealth, saying that no nation achieves industrialisation without taking advantage of its mineral wealth.

Engr. Nkom who doubles as the Director General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, spoke Friday at his pre-installation and investiture briefing as the 30th President of the NMGS slated for Saturday, 22 June, 2019. The briefing was meant to give insight into what the Nigeria Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) does and its operations.

This is even as he said the Society works closely in partnership with the government towards economic development of the sector and the country in general.

According to him: “There is no nation that can achieve industrialisation without taking advantage of its mineral wealth. And mineral wealth of any nation lies in its mineral resources and its utilization.

“After our installation and investiture Saturday, we are going to have our 235th Council meeting and in that meeting, we are going to have deliberations towards making sure that we carry the main objectives of the society forward to ensure adding value to the economic development of the country.

The NNPC National Science Quiz Competition, 2019

He noted that the nation’s road map for diversification was abandoned in the past because of emphasis on oil sector, noting that when the nation thinks that it has oil and gas without diversifying to other sectors, it creates problem.

He said that the Society has over the years been researching on the mining and geosciences sector as well as advising and making recommendations to the government appropriately in order to open their eyes on the need to diversify.

On his part, the President of Geosciences Society of Africa, Professor Gbenga Okunlola, while fielding questions noted that the present federal government had decided to set plans on what it hopes to achieve within short term, medium term and long term plan of action in the sector.

He said: “I want to tell you that there are so many successes so far recorded. For the first time last year, the 36 States of the Federation shared part of the revenue from solid mineral sector.

“Last year, it is on record that the revenue from the solid mineral sector rose by over 500 percent and these are short term programmes.

“There are long terms for each of the sector. So, I think one thing we must have to know about the solid mineral sector was that we missed it at some point when we truncated some of the things that we are doing now.

“The mineral sector itself is a marathon. So, you have to plan and be patient. The miners are being organised, there are grants for the first time with low interest of five percent, five years moratorium being managed by the Bank of Industry.There are strategies to ensure that illegal miners are organised to eliminate scavengers; smuggling of solid minerals also being reduced.There is influx of foreign direct investments in the sector now.”