Date: 2018-10-26

THE Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has said that the full development of the solid minerals subsector would elicit economic boom in Nigeria.

He called for the full development of the abundant mineral and energy resources in the country.

Ahmed, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Solid Minerals, Alhaji Shehu Abdulwaheed, spoke on Tuesday at a workshop of the Nigerian Mining and Geoscience Society, Ilorin chapter, in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The workshop was entitled, 'Unlocking the investment opportunities in Kwara State through solid minerals'.

The governor stated that the solid minerals subsector should be developed in a sustainable manner to ensure national development, skill acquisition and employment provision.

According to him, the solid minerals subsector could serve as a key driver in the quest for national economic growth and development.

The President, NMGS, Prof. Silas Dada, warned against the employment of non-professionals or quacks in solid minerals sector.

He urged investors to employ geologists and avoid using quacks to prevent investment loss.

He also advised investors to get correct information on solid minerals before investing, adding that investing without good information could lead to investment loss.

He pleaded with the organised private sector to complement government's efforts in addressing unemployment.

Dada said, "Solid mineral has the possibility of employing a large number of people. Solid mineral sector, whether at the artisanal level or junior company, or mega company, all over the world you find out that a lot is going on especially in the developed countries. It has the potential to employ as well as upgrade the finances of families."

The Chairman, NMGS, Ilorin Chapter, Mr. Olusola Ojo, said Kwara State has many solid minerals across the 16 local government areas in the state.

According to him, the development of the sector will boost job creation and skill acquisition.

He said, "The resources of Kwara State are quite enormous because hardly is there any local government that does not have one solid mineral or the other.

"when you talk about the potential in terms of job creation within solid mineral, there is a lot of value chain because apart from raw materials, processing can fetch us a lot of jobs and revenue. Local artisans can be employed."