|
To promote the nation’s infrastructural framework towards
the sustainable development of the nation’s minerals and
metal sector for the
economic growth, the Federal Government will develop a Trade
Brochure for the National Geosciences Research Laboratories
Centre in Kaduna.
The Minister of Mines and
Steel Development,Arc.Musa Mohammed Sada made this known
when he led a delegation on an assessment visit to the
centre in Kaduna.
The Minister who attributed
the backwardness of the nation’s minerals and metal sector
to poor planning arrangement said, the present
administration had already put in place necessary frameworks
such as the institutional and regulatory frameworks as well
as infrastructural framework which gave birth to the
National Geosciences Research Laboratories Centre to drive
the minerals and metal sector of the country.
Arc. Sada explained that the
centre which is equipped with the state of the art
equipments would carry out tests and analysis on the mineral
resources so as to determine their chemical composition,
stressing that; this would go along way at knowing the value
and type of mineral resources that are available in the
country.
He noted that mining
operators in the country are currently being shortchanged as
a result of lack of such laboratories facility to determine
the value and quality of the mineral resources that are
being explored.
The Minister reaffirmed the
Jonathan- led administration’s commitment to collaborate
with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure
that all the infrastructures are put in place in line with
the major objectives of the transformational agenda to move
the sector forward.
Arc.Sada disclosed that the
Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) Mining
Ministers have agreed to have a common guideline to mineral
exploitation in the sub region, noting that, one of the
issues being discussed was the total absence of this kind of
laboratory facility in the region.
He explained that the
Federal Government realized the need to have research
laboratories with international seal of acceptance in order
to discourage illegal exportation of mineral samples thereby
saving the country of huge sum of money being spent on
exportation of such minerals.
Arc. Sada disclosed that the
Federal Government will develop a Trade Brochure as a
document to promote the services offered by the National
Research Laboratories Centre.
He directed the Nigerian
Geological Survey Agency, the Project Management Unit of the
Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project (SMMRP)
as well as officials of the Ministry to work together in
ensuring that a Trade Brochure about the services of the
Laboratories Centre is developed.
He said “Project Management
unit, Nigerian Geological Survey Agency as well as the
Ministry should work together to make sure that we have a
brochure about the laboratory equipments and services we can
offer’’.
He added that the Trade
Brochure when developed would be sent to all the ECOWAS
partners so as to promote the services of these facilities
to the outside world as well as attract investors to the
nation’s minerals and metal sector.
The Minister said the
government’s determination to create a centre of excellence
for these activities and showcase the nation’s mining
potentials informed the need for him to embark on an
assessment visit to the centre
He expressed optimism while
inspecting the Laboratory equipments said to be the first in
the sub-region.
He said the Federal
government was determined to discuss on area of
collaboration with the technical partners such as the
Western Australia who had offered assistance in areas of
training and capacity building to the Nigeria’s government.
He disclosed that President
Jonathan had been invited by the Australian government as
the only Head of government that would address the mining
business community at the Common Wealth Heads of Government
Conference in Australia this year, adding that, this would
offer Nigeria an opportunity to showcase mining as
diversification tool for the economy of Nigeria.
According to the Acting
Director of the Centre, Mr. Luke Abu who received the
delegation, he said the laboratory would provide reliable
and credible analytical support to the mining industry.
He said with the full
utilization of these analytic equipments, much revenue would
be generated for the economic growth of the country as well
as putting Nigeria on the mining map of the world.
The Projector Coordinator of
Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project (SMMRP),Mr.
Linus Adie assured that these equipments would be effective
in developing not only minerals and metal sector but in
other sectors of the economy
The Centre is equipped with
newly acquired state of the art equipments ranging from
Epsilon 5 Energy
dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer.
Empyrean X-ray
diffractions Spectrometer.
Scanning Election
Microscope (SEM) Inspects.
Ultra Violet/Visible
Spectrometer
Mini Water Lab Equipment
Minipal 4 Energy
dispersive X – ray fluorescence Spectro meter |
