The Senate is looking into the decline in revenue from solid minerals and has asked the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) to halt the sale of mining assets. They also want increased security measures to prevent theft of mineral resources. The Senate Committee on Solid Minerals will review the policies and activities of the mining sector, including the privatization programs and the extent of illegal mining. The motion for this investigation was sponsored by Senator Osita Ngwu, who emphasized the importance of the mining sector to economic diversification and social inclusion. The senator highlighted the dominance of quarrying in the sector and the inconsistent contribution of solid minerals to the GDP. Despite Nigeria’s abundant mineral resources, the sector’s contribution to job creation and infrastructure development remains low compared to other African countries. The Senate has given the committee three weeks to conduct the investigation and report back with their findings.
