Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Umaru Al-Makura seeks to partner with the Federal Government towards harnessing the mineral resources that abound in the state.
The governor made the proposal when he paid a visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
He also urged the Federal Government to look into the 13% derivation which he said the state was yet to benefit, stressing that it would help increase the state’s revenue base.
Governor Al-Makura also requested that the scope of solid minerals be expanded by establishing a mineral study outfit, as a means of employment creation for the teeming youth in Nasarawa State.
“I would like to kindly request the Honourable Minister to grant Nasarawa State the license for industrial mineral mining; this will increase our revenue generation, especially now that we have an SPV ready to partake in this exercise.
“Besides that, I will like to assure the Honourable Minister that if Nasarawa State is vested with some support like mineral study outfit or mineral skill acquisition outfit that will help low class mineral miners to have the skills and means to prospect, I believe this will give Nasarawa State the opportunity to expand the scope of bringing different kinds of people to earn a living through mineral resources.
“Finally, I will also like to put before the Honourable Minister the issue of derivation when it comes to mineral revenue, as it is now some of the mineral resources revenue that are being generated like Barytes and others, where the end users are in other states than Nasarawa because other state that do not even mine those minerals are the beneficiaries of the 13% derivation.
“So we want to put this before the Honourable Minister to look at it, so that we can carefully identify from which states those minerals are coming and which state deserve those derivation benefits.
“This, I believe at this very difficult period will support the state in doing so many things that will add value to the focus of the Federal Government on diversification,” he said.
Governor Al-Makura also seized the opportunity to invite the Minister to the state, in order to adequately analyse issues pertaining to solid minerals development.
“We want to extend a special invitation to you to come to Nasarawa State so that we can have a more practical interface for you to see what is there for you to support us and support the country at large,” he requested.
Accepting the invitation, Dr. Fayemi assured the governor of the Federal Government’s support to the State Government in realising its diversification drive.
“We have adopted an administrative mechanism to ensure that states are fully on board, in order to realise the objective of active participation in mining.
“Before we finish this month, I will come and I will go round myself to see those specific areas where the Federal Government can assist and partner with Nasarawa State in strengthening what you have already started by way of developing the resources that are available in your state,” the minister said.
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