The Federal Government and Oyo State Government have vowed to use solid minerals as springboard for the diversification and development of the economy.
This came to the fore during a courtesy visit by the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Chief Uche Ogah and his team to Governor Seyi Makinde at the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan, yesterday.
Ogah said the visit became imperative as a result of strategic importance of the state in solid minerals.
The minister, who was in the town to attend the 56th yearly international conference and exhibition of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), added that the rich-mineral endowment of the state and being the seat of the University of Ibadan had contributed large numbers of earth scientists as members to NMGS.
Ogah said: “Your Excellency, the choice of Oyo State by NMGS to host this important international conference is by no means a coincidence but predicated on the fact that Oyo State is very strategic to the Society and MMSD.
“As I indicated earlier, available records show that Oyo State is richly endowed with different mineral types in commercial quantities and grade in several locations across the state.
“We at the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development share in the belief of the government that with the support of development partners, stakeholders, corporate bodies, business friends and of course well-wishers of Oyo State, the state can be transformed into a physically-functional, economically-vibrant, socially-harmonious and most-preferred sub-national mining destination in Nigeria.”
Responding, Makinde said the cardinal objectives of the administration were in line with the aspirations of the Federal Government to develop and diversify the economy.
The governor emphasised that the two tiers of government would work together to develop solid minerals and other sectors rapidly.
Makinde, who also spoke at the conference, said the constitution had retarded the use of solid minerals for development.
He, therefore, urged the delisting of mineral resources from the Exclusive Legislative List of the constitution.
