The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), AGVision Mining Limited and KAM Industries Limited came top of the list in a rating of the impact of mining sector stakeholders on the economy, released by TRUTHAFRIQUE Communications, publishers of THE TRUTH Online.

The list of ten entities also has the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), Thor Explorations Limited (holding company to which Segilola Gold Project belongs), Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI), Women In Mining Nigeria (WIMIN), Dangote Group and two joint individuals – Geologist Saidu Uba Malami who is Chairman of the Board of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) and Dr Sanusi Mohammed, Executive Secretary-General of the African Iron and Steel Association (AISA).

Chairman, TRUTHAFRIQUE Communications, Mr. Francis Kadiri who noted that no State Government met the criteria for inclusion in the list, said the Special Projects Committee of THE TRUTH headed by Engr Ben Nwude (fnse, fnsme) a former President of the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers reviewed efforts made by the governments of 36 States of the federation and resolved that none was satisfactory, noting that state governments are not doing enough in the quest to jointly pursue the realization of the Roadmap for Growth and Development of the Nigerian mining sector.

“None of the 36 State Governments satisfied the criteria for THE TRUTH’s “Ten most impactful mining sector entities of 2022,” he said, adding that the absence of States in the list is “a sad commentary that undermines the realization of set goals for the sector, especially the economic diversification agenda.”

The Chairman expressed concern that although the economic diversification agenda was repeatedly adopted by successive Federal administrations in the country, there is little to show for it as over 80% of Nigerians are still poor despite the abounding multiplicity of solid mineral resources in the thirty-six of the federation. He called on States to collaborate with the Federal Government to realize set goals, and quoted a World Bank poverty assessment report titled, “A Better Future for All Nigerians: 2022 Nigeria Poverty Assessment,” as saying that the number of poor Nigerians is increasing, and it is projected to hit 95.1milloin in 2022.”

“There are so many policies and campaign promises to develop the solid minerals sector but there is hardly equipment or financial support from state governments to indigenous mining operators, and there are too few state government-owned mineral development companies,” he said, adding that State Governments must make commitment to the development of the sector as some of them have accorded the agriculture sector.