guess what? The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development just launched some new guidelines for the Community Development Agreement (CDA). It’s all about making sure that the benefits of mining projects are shared with the communities they affect. The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, talked about how mining projects can have both positive and negative impacts on communities. He mentioned that communities are now more aware of the benefits they should get from mining companies, and the companies are also thinking about how to keep their social licenses to operate. So, these guidelines are all about defining the relationships and obligations between mining companies and their host communities. The idea is to make sure that everyone benefits from mining projects in a sustainable way. The guidelines are actually a legal requirement under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, so they’re pretty important. The Minister also said that the aim is to prevent the kind of social problems that the oil sector faced in the Niger Delta. The ministry has been working hard to get mining companies to sign these agreements, and it looks like they’re making progress. Around 252 companies have already signed CDAs with their host communities, and they’re doing things like providing boreholes, electricity, schools, health centres, road constructions, and scholarships. But there are still some companies that need to get on board with this, and the ministry is making sure they do. The guidelines have been updated to address some issues that were identified in the existing ones, and the launch is all about raising awareness of the importance of these agreements for sustainable mineral resources development in Nigeria. It’s all about making sure that mining benefits everyone, and it’s a big step towards a more responsible and sustainable mining industry.
