Mr Patrick Ojeka, Director Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Department, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, has described security as the greatest challenge in the country’s mining sector.
He said this on Thursday in Abuja, when a delegation from the African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), paid him a courtesy visit.
The NGO was led on the visit by Mr Omaojor Ogedoh, its Senior Programmes Officer.
“Most countries are just reawakening from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought the world to a standstill, both physically and otherwise.
“That COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mining sector negatively is not questionable; government is however desirous of providing a platform for sustainable mining in the country.
“That focus has not been lost, but we have a greater challenge than COVID-19, which is security,” he said.
This, Ojeka said, was especially so as activities of bandits had continued to increase in some parts of the country.
According to him, miners can no longer go to the field because of activities of bandits which has increased in Zamfara, Niger, Katsina and some other states in the country.
He, however, added that government was doing its best to stem the situation, but needed collaboration of stakeholders.
Ojeka said that if the challenge in the mining sector had been just COVID-19, it would be addressed before long as the ministry through its extension services had been reaching out to miners to educate them on how to protect themselves.
The director added that possible suggestions from stakeholders in the sector could help address the situation faster, stressing that government was open to sustaining its partnership with such stakeholders.
He said that the ministry would continue to work with stakeholders on how to address the various challenges confronting the mining sector to make sustainable progress.
The director also listed other challenges of the ministry and the mining sector to include: finance and attitude of the miners with regards to accessing government revolving loan to finance mining projects.
Ojeka added that there was however need for miners to show some level of seriousness when it comes to accessing government loan.
He said that as long as miners continued to have the mentality that government must continue to spoon feed them, they would not make progress.
Ogedoh, The Senior Programmes Officer of the NGO said the visit was to find out from the ministry what it was doing to ensure sustainable mining in the country post COVID-19.
Ogedoh said that the NGO would continue to collaborate with the ministry towards making the mining sector the alternative revenue generating outfit for all stakeholders.
