Kwara Governor, Steel Development Minister, Kursi CEO Attend Solid Minerals Council Meeting 

… As Kwara Registers 5 Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs)

Kwara State Government has recently registered five (5) Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) as part of its measures to acquire viable mining sites and make the state a major producer of solid minerals in Nigeria.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq disclosed this on Wednesday during the 5th Annual Conference of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD) at Banquet Hall, Ilorin.

Abdulrazaq said each of the 16 local government areas of the state is blessed with abundant viable mineral resources and in commercial quantities, inviting investors to tap into the natural endowments.

The Governor was speaking in Ilorin at the 5th Annual Conference of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD), which draws delegates from across the 36 states of the Federation.

The Conference commenced on Monday and ended on Wednesday, with the theme: “Minerals and Metal: A Panacea for Economic Growth and Diversification”.

“We plan to establish a standard mineral market in the state, where all minerals mined from our State will first be registered here before they are transported to other places,” he said.

The Governor commended the choice of Kwara to host the council, hoping that resolutions reached at the end of the meeting will rev up development in the sector.

He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the bold investments to diversify the economy.

“The need to diversify the economy and harness potentials in the solid mineral and other sectors cannot be overemphasized. The excessive reliance on oil has proven to be unhelpful for our country, and I’m glad we appear to have learnt our lessons,” he added.

“I appeal to the Honourable Ministers present, the DG MCO, DG NGSA to give us all necessary assistance to actualise our dream of becoming a major solid mineral producing state in the country.”

The event attracted participants from all walks of life, including the Minister of State for Mines and Steels Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari; federal parliamentarians; members of the Kwara State Executive Council; and professionals in the mining sector.

Minister of State for Mines ans Steels Development Uba Maigari said steel is the backbone of modern infrastructure and the foundation upon which other sectors thrive, adding that the industry is key for job creation, community empowerment, and diversification of the economy.

“That is why I am here today to call on all of you — miners, manufacturers, investors, policy makers, researchers, citizens and businessmen alike — to join hands in a national mission to revitalize our steel industry,” Maigari added.

“Let us use this gathering to not just share ideas but to commit to concrete actions and measurable outcomes. Let us leave Ilorin with the roadmap for Nigeria’s Steel industry that is the envy of Africa and a powerhouse for our nation’s economic transformation.”

The Chief Executive Officer of Kursi Investment, Amb Yahaya Seriki while speaking with newsmen urged Mining Companies to prioritize development of host communities.

He said every individual in the mining industry should prioritize the host community and the state at large.

“No matter where you are if you cannot develop a community that brought you up you are nothing,” he emphasized.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Mary Ogbe described Kursi Investment Company as one of the well structured Mining Companies in Nigeria in terms of compliance with regulations.