The Nigerian nation is 52 years old, however, the nation’s insurance industry is very much older than the country having been in existence since 1918 when Royal Exchange commenced operations.

With over N2billion in overhead costs, and the sudden loss of its status as an oil producing state, the Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, in this interview with Clara Nwchukwu and Ubong Nelson, reveals how his administration is coping with economic and development issues. Excerpts:

PETROLEUM and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has directed all its branches in Nigeria to engage their managements over the unprecedented engagement of expatriates through all manner of guises into the Nigerian oil and gas sector, in apparent move against alarming influx of expatriates.

Indication that most parastatals of the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development would gain autonomy has emerged with the matching order on National Metallurgical Development Centre to go commercial. How prepared is the agency for this task?

Over the past 10 years, Nigeria’s mining industry has experienced a boom in both mineral exploration and mining activities. Notable developments include the enhancement of regulatory standards, the proposed development of a Road Map for the reform of the sector, and the commissioning of state-of –the-art mining laboratory in Kaduna, Kaduna State.