29 May 2013, Sweetcrude, Abuja — Mr Musa Sada, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, has inaugurated a six-man committee to fast track government’s vision of generating power from coal as an alternative source of electricity.
This is contained in a statement released by Mr Marshall Gundu, Deputy Director of Press in the ministry.
The committee is headed by the Director General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Mr Mohammed Amate, and Mr Idris Umar will serve as secretary.
The other members are the Director Generals of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency and the National Steel Raw Material Exploration Agency.
The Chairman, Solid Minerals Development Fund, the Director, Mines Inspectorate and the Director of Mines and Environmental Compliance are also on the committee.
The committee is to collate and evaluate available reports on Coal to Power Initiative with a view to establishing the status of the project as well as identify all assets of Nigerian Coal Corporation that had not been privatised.
The terms of reference includes identification of the uses of Nigerian coal in addition to it being a source of power generation and development of a programme to fast-track exploitation of coal resource for power generation and other uses.
The statement quoted the minister as saying that the inauguration of the committee became necessary to examine ways to harness the large quantities of coal deposits in the country.
“Nigeria is endowed with large quantities of coal deposits which can be used to generate electricity for Nigerians,” the statement said.
The minister, who was represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry, Mr Linus Awute, said the ministry had the expertise to drive the `Coal to Power Generation Project’ to fruition.
Sada said the ministry could only achieve the feat if it worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Power and other stakeholders.
He urged the committee members to handle their assignment with all seriousness and commitment in view of its importance to the well-being and industrial development of Nigeria.
The committee has two weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report to the minister.
Earlier, Amate expressed his appreciation to the minister for finding them worthy of the assignment and gave the assurance that they would deliver on their mandate.
