By Gabriel Ewepu

THE Federal Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, have called on investors to go into Nigeria’s mining sector.

Mining

The call was made at the inauguration of ‘Development Partners and Donor Agencies Coordination Group on Mining’ by the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in Abuja.

The coordination group include the Department for International Development, DFID, World Bank, Ford Foundation, Medecin San Frontiers, MSF, Open Society for West Africa, OSIWA, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, UNIDO, United Nations Development Project, UNDP, African Development Bank, AfDB, African Union, AU, Economic Community for West African States, ECOWAS, and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

At the inauguration Fayemi stated: “Restoring Nigeria’s lost glory in mining means more than simply re-enacting the past. It involves improving governance, transparency and accountability, building an investor-friendly regulatory environment, making the sector more inclusive for artisanal miners and women, and so much more.

“As the number of partners and agencies willing to support the MMSD has increased and, hopefully, continues to increase, we feel that there is a strong need for a Development Partners and Donor Agencies Coordination Group on Mining.

“This should be a forum where partners and agencies meet to review, coordinate, and synergise their programmes with the aim of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of assistance provided to the sector.

“It should also serve as a platform for making joint decisions on issues of external financing to the mining sector, as well as for policy engagement with the Ministry. I am confident that we will achieve our sector reform objectives with your support. I hereby inaugurate the development partner and donor agency coordination group on mining.”

In his goodwill message, the UNIDO Regional Director, ECOWAS, Dr. Jean Bakole, said investors should take advantage of the over 44 minerals deposits in Nigeria, which has enormous potential of not only diversifying its economy, but also generating jobs and creating wealth through the mining sector.

“In this light, Nigeria has taken a bold step towards developing a roadmap that will ensure that mining takes back its glorious days and become a major contributor to the economy and GDP of the Country.”

“This roadmap shows the commitment of the Nigerian government to improve the standard of living of its people. It also shows the responsiveness of the government to pull the country out of the present economic recession”, he added.