Solid Minerals Development Minister, Mr Dele Alake has called for the support of the international community for local value addition in the mining sector.
He said it is critical for the development of the mining industry and Africa’s economy.
Alake said the strategy of inclusivity in the super region should ensure that the practice of exploitation via mere extraction of mineral resources gives way to conscious efforts to developing the mining industry value chain that will culminate in processing minerals into finished products, which will herald economic development for countries in the continent.
Special Assistant Media to the Minister, Segun Tomori in a statement said the minister made the statement while speaking as a panelist at the opening session of the ongoing Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Alake stressed that as the world strives to achieve net zero environmental impact in all processes of mining operations, emphasis should shift to local value addition, as against the age-long practice of carting away raw mineral resources.
He said: “For us in Nigeria, and most of Africa, the idea of a super region is quite significant in order to harness the mosaic, distinctive mineral resources that are within the confines of our super regions and consequently achieve a sustainable energy mix for the world.”
