So, the Federal Government just put together a 10-person squad to ramp up the production of Salt and Kaolin in Nigeria. This move is all part of their plan to boost local industry and create more jobs. Dr Mary Ogbe, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development/Steel Development, was all fired up during the inauguration ceremony in Abuja. She talked about how this initiative lines up with the Tinubu administration’s agenda to make Nigeria self-reliant and create more opportunities for everyone. According to her, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is all about believing in our country and making it better. And Dr Oladele Alake, the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, is on a mission to develop and process salt and Kaolin right here in Nigeria. The goal? To create jobs, save foreign exchange, and give our economy a boost.
The 10-person squad has been given some serious tasks. They’ve got to figure out where all the salt and Kaolin deposits are in Nigeria, how many licenses have been issued for their exploration, and the cost of exploring these sites. Plus, they’ve got to come up with a plan to build processing plants for salt and Kaolin in Nigeria. And if that’s not enough, they’ve got to throw in any other recommendations that could help the government develop the sector. The clock’s ticking for this squad, they’ve got until 30 November 2023 to get their report in.
Heading up the squad is Prof. Zachaeus Opafunsho, the big boss at the Council for Mining Engineers and Geoscientists of Nigeria. And keeping everything in order is Mrs. Salamatu Umar, the Secretary of the squad. Looks like things are about to get real interesting in the salt and Kaolin game!