The Kwara State Government has registered five special purpose vehicles (SPVs) as part of moves to acquire viable mining sites and make the state a major producer of solid minerals in Nigeria.

The state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, disclosed this in Ilorin, the state capital, on Wednesday.He 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.

AbdulRazaq spoke at the 5th Annual Conference of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD) holding in Ilorin, which draws delegates from across the 36 states of the federation.

“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 meeting, 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.

“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,” he added.

In his remarks, the minister of State for Mines ans Steel 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.

Despite the fact that the sector is facing hurdles ranging from aging infrastructure to an uncertain global market, the challenges are an invitation to innovate, collaborate, and think beyond the ordinary, Maigari said.

“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.Earlier, the Kwara State commissioner for Solid Mineral Development, Abdulqowiyu Olododo, had said the state government was collaborating with security agencies to ensure the safety of investors within the Kwara borders.

“I use this opportunity to convey to our esteemed guests that we are wholeheartedly committed to the advancement of solid minerals, thereby harnessing the economic potentials of valuable minerals such as gold, tantalite, and lithium, which are abundant in our state,” he said, adding that “a framework is in place to facilitate works in the state without encroaching upon the existing Federal Mining Act.”