The Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society Calls for Improvement in Workers’ Welfare and Manpower
The Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) is calling for an increase in the workforce within public mining agencies, as well as an improvement in working conditions within the sector. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Prof. Akinade Olatunji, the President of NMGS, emphasized the necessity of these changes to reposition the sector for better services and to prevent incidents such as the January Ibadan explosion, which was linked to the storage of explosive materials by illegal miners.
Prof. Olatunji specifically recommended that the Mines Inspectorate Department and the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) be reinforced with additional manpower in order to ensure efficient service delivery. He expressed concern about the current understaffing and lack of sufficient mining engineers and geologists in the Federal Mines Offices across the states and Abuja, noting that the shortage of personnel in these departments impedes their ability to deliver the expected results.
In addition to addressing the shortage of personnel, Prof. Olatunji stressed the importance of generating geoscience data to effectively assess the nation’s natural resources. He urged the government to engage non-governmental partners such as the NMGS to contribute their skills and resources in producing geoscience data that can benefit all sectors. The objective is to enhance revenue generation from the mining sector by tackling issues of under-declaration by operators, particularly concerning the payment of royalties and taxes.
Furthermore, he advised the government to identify and promote local champions in the mining sector to attract both local and foreign investors. He called for collaboration among the ministry, Nigeria Customs Service, and NMGS to provide expert knowledge and skills needed to address the unreported exportation of Nigeria’s mineral resources, which is resulting in significant revenue leakage. Additionally, he recommended the full implementation of the government directive requiring all minerals to be processed before export to ensure their deserved value in the international markets, ultimately revolutionizing the industrial sector.
The NMGS is advocating for these changes to improve the working conditions of employees in the mining sector and to enhance the overall economic prospects of the industry. By addressing the shortage of personnel and enhancing data generation and export processes, the society aims to create a more robust and sustainable mining sector.
Source: www.nannews.ng
