AT least 10,000 investors have been granted mining titles to begin the exploration activities in the solid minerals sector.

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Mohammed Sada, said in Abuja, the ministry has started implementing the work of the Mining Cadastre System (an agency) to attract foreign investments into the sector.

“The outcome is the current several exploration activities going on in the country by addition of five internationally renowned investors and 30 other operators,” he noted.

The minister added that the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences (NIMG) in Jos, a post-graduate institution for human capacity development in mining and minerals sectors, has also taken off.

He stressed that the ministry is also strengthening the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NASA) for credible geological data gathering and dissemination of which, the outfit is based in Abuja.

According to him, in the next few months, the ministry will place the industry in a position to contribute substantially to the national economy.

He explained that in view of the rampant abuse of explosives across the country, a one-day stakeholder’s forum on explosives has been held in Abuja.

His words: “The conference was to sensitise the stakeholders on the legal use of commercial explosives, it was unanimously agreed that a review of the current Explosives Act of 1964 and the Explosives Regulations of 1967, be carried out for both instruments to address emerging needs, trends and challenges associated with explosives handling, security, manufactures an export.”

He stated that, currently, the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency has compiled, and will launch very shortly, various albums.

They include Geological Maps on a Scale of 1:2,000,000, Geological Maps and Mineral Resources for each state of the federation on a scale of 1:250,000 or 1:500,000; Geological Maps and Minerals Resources of all the six geological zones of the country on a scale 1:1,000,000; Album of all digital sheet Maps on a scale of 1:100,000; and Map Album on Archide Sheet map on a scale of 1:100,000 and 1:250,000 respectively.

He said that in the efforts to stem foreign resources flight which is presently alarming, a standard laboratory named, The National Geosciences Research Laboratory, has been established at the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) in Kaduna, adding that very sophisticated equipment have also been installed and training of staff in progress.

He explained that having realised that Nigeria’s mining sector is characterised by a high number of speculations, which abuse mining tittles, the Mining Cadastre office recently took measures to curb their excesses.

The measures, he said, are:minerals titles holders who are in default of annual service fees to pay within 30 days of publication, tittles to be revoked on account of non-payment of fees as at when due, while recovery of debts will be in line with the provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and Minerals and Mining Regulations of 2011 henceforth.