Stakeholders in the mining sector have urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to take proacrive action in securing investment into the mining sector from Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom to help bolster the country’s economy.
The stakeholders also urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to set timelines and targets for the success of the Nigerian, Saudi Arabia Joint Committee on Mining.
Nigeria, they say, can secure the anticipated $20billion investment if it act accordingly.
Meanwhile, Chief executive officer of a mining company, Daroo Nigerian Limited, and also the Nigerian partner and representative, Alhaji Mohammed Abba Liman, had said that foreign invstors were interested in lithium, lead, gold, and other precious gems‘production and their entire value chains.
Liman had described the ongoing implementation of the solid minerals sector development roadmap by the present administration as “a long term strategic vision”.
“Partners who have indicated concrete interest are coming from the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, China and France,” he told newsmen.
He said that Daroo Nigerian Limited is collaborating with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Solid Minerals Resources through Saudi Gold Refinery Company Ltd in Riyadh.
Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had resolved to strengthen collaboration between both countries to ginger the development of solid minerals as the world transitions from fossil fuels to cleaner energy.
Meeting on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) which held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Bandar AlKhorayef, led the delegations of both countries to the bilateral meeting.
“Saudi Arabia has consistently shown a positive affinity to Nigeria and we are eager to reciprocate this gesture by consolidating and enhancing our capacity in exploring and exploiting our natural resources. We are ready to work together to fine-tune specific details and strategies to concretise areas of collaboration within a specified time frame,” the minister had said.
Experts called on the government not to waver on the proposed joint technical committee of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
