31 January 2012, Swetcrude, ABUJA – Nigeria plans to establish a solid mineral-based cottage industry in each of its 774 local government areas, according to Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Alhaji Musa Mohammed Sada.
The minister made the disclosure while receiving Bauchi state governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda, in his office in Abuja.
He said the plan would take off from a local government area in Bauchi State before being moved to other local government areas across the country.
According to him, the government took the decision on the cottage industries on the basis that every local government area in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory is endowed with one solid mineral resource or the other, around which a cottage industry could built.
He said the Federal Government was ready to partner state governments and private investors to accomplish the plan through development of the solid mineral resources in each of the local government areas.
The minister disclosed that the necessary legislative and institutional frameworks had been put in place to drive the sector and reforms are on-going.
Sada said the issue of illegal mining across the country was being addressed to protect lives, generate revenue, the environment and to attract foreign direct investment and local investors to the mining industry.
According to him, every state government of the federation is to participate actively in mining operations in their domain through the Mineral Resource and Environmental Management Committees.
