The Federal Government is to protect the interest of Stakeholders in the Mines and Steel Sectors of the nation's economy, said the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

She made the disclosure, when members of the Association of Miners and Processors of Barytes led by its President Chief Steve Alao, paid  her a courtesy visit.

The Minister said that, the aim of the Federal Government was to put in place, a strong Mines and Steel Sector that will not only encompass the various needs of all stakeholders, but also  look carefully at the sectoral challenges and profer solutions to them in the next few months.

Mrs. Alison-Madueke noted that, the Artisanal and Small Scale Miners were critical in terms of job creation and poverty alleviation, adding that, that was why members of the association and other stakeholders have to work together in a focused and aggressive manner in addressing the challenges in the sector.

On the issue of granting of waiver for the importation of barytes which was the bone of contention of the association, the minister said that the matter would be addressed in details with relevant stakeholders.

She therefore, requested that the Inter-Ministerial Committee set up by her predicessor on the availability of barytes in the country be formerly submitted for examination.

Speaking earlier, the National President of the Association of Miners and Processors of Barytes, Chief Steve Alao, gave the essence of his association's visit which was aimed at seeking the federal government assistance to reconsider its waiver for the importation of barytes, which according to him was adversely affecting the operations of his members.

He said that as a result of the waiver, the nation is flooded with imported barytes at the detriment of locally produced barytes thereby, rendering the local miners and processors of the commodity jobless.

The President of the association  assured the minister that, if a ban on the importation of Barytes was effected, members of the association would be able to meet local needs of barytes because ,'there is an estimated reserve of over 20 million metric tonnes of barytes in the country'.

Chief Alao said his association was ready to partner with the ministry in the development of not only barytes, but also bentonite as well as calcium carbonate for job and wealth creation.

In another development, the Minister received in audience, the President and Members of the Nigerian Institute of Welding who she commended for hosting a successful First Nigerian Institute of Welding International Conference in March.

She promised that the communique issued at the end of the conference would be carefully studied, with a view to adopting some of the recommendations for the development the Steel Industry in Nigeria.