Solid minerals, Nigeria’s next petroleum – Minister

The Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Dele Alake, has identified solid minerals as Nigeria’s next petroleum.

A statement issued yesterday by the media aide to the Nasarawa State governor, Ali Abari, quoted the minister as saying this when he received the governor, Abdullahi Sule, at the headquarters of the Ministry in Abuja.

Alake explained that since Nasarawa State, known as the Home of Solid Minerals, was sitting on top of the country’s next petroleum, it had become imperative for his ministry to cooperate and coordinate all the dynamics surrounding solid minerals operation for exploitation and judicious spending of the resources.

The minister told the governor that presently, officials of the ministry are putting mechanisms in place towards ensuring that Nigeria derives maximum benefit from these God-given minerals that are in abundance in Nigeria.

“A lot of high-grade quality minerals have been discovered in Nasarawa.  The state is very significant in terms of the development of the minerals sector in Nigeria.  Nigeria is very happy at that. Nasarawa State and the rest of the minerals areas of Nigeria will witness a swell development very shortly.

“We are going to harness and utilise it efficiently, effectively and proficiently to ensure that Nigeria also expends the resources judiciously from solid minerals. That is the next petroleum of Nigeria. Nasarawa State is sitting on the next petroleum of Nigeria,” he said.

The minister, however, noted that the visit by the governor underscored the significance of the synergy expected between the federal government and Nasarawa State.

Earlier, Governor Sule described the visit to the minister as of utmost importance because the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development is critical to the state.

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