By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – THE Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, yesterday, tasked the the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, on crafting policies that would transform lives of Nigerians.

Alake stated this during a courtesy visit by NIPSS Course 47 (2025) participants in his office at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.

He also noted that being Nigeria’s foremost policy think-tank, but emphasized strongly that the Institute should lead the expected shift in national mindset in order to foster more effective policy implementation and accountability.

He said: “We have had several development plans over the years, but implementation has often been fragmented.

“NIPSS was established as a hub of intellectualism into the art of governance, yet a gap remains—perhaps because public officials don’t fully engage with its recommendations, or the institute isn’t articulating its ideas clearly enough for practical adoption.

“Once the mental attitude is wrong, nothing else can be right. What the president is doing now is to stop the bleeding—plugging systemic leakages through critical reforms aimed at long-term national prosperity.”

Meanwhile, the Minister lamented long neglect of solid minerals sector, traceable to poor policies and implementation, whereby, it became a haven for illicit business by criminal elements who freely exploited and carted away the nation’s solid minerals, but the narrative is changing since President Bola Tinubu took over the leadership of the country as a lot of policies and implementations have being put in place to sanitize the sector, and the results are glaring, and investors are attracted and are enjoying doing legitimate business, which the revenue generation has tremendously increased compared with other decades past.

He also maintained that the Tinubu-led administration has not relented to ensure the sector is freed from the shackles of criminals who have being smoked out since the Mining Marshals were brought on board from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, who, within one year of its operations have stormed the mines the criminals are illegally mining and arrested over 300 illegal miners, initiated prosecution of approximately 150 suspects including foreign nationals and recovered 98 illegal mining sites, and also, nine convictions have been secured.

According to Alake, the Ministry’s non-coercive policy to combat illegal artisanal mining has led to the formation of over 250 cooperatives, therefore, helped to formalize activities of artisanal miners, enhance government oversight, and increase in revenue generation through royalties.

In his response on behalf of the NIPSS delegation, Mr. David Aloh, commended the Tinubu-led administration and the Ministry’s transparency and insight, and described the session as “illuminating and eye-opening.”

Aloh stated that participants were now better informed about the ministry’s activities and that of its key agencies including the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency, NGSA, and the Mining Cadastre Office, MCO, particularly in relation to Nigeria’s green economy aspirations.

“On behalf of the Director-General of the NIPSS, the management and faculties, staff and members of the senior executive, Course 47 of 2025, we want to express our gratitude.

“We know that the knowledge we have garnered from here today will come in handy as we proceed on this course in fulfillment of Mr. President’s mandate”, he said.