Association Seeks Minerals Dev Fund

The Mining Association of Nigeria (MAN) on Monday in Abuja called on the Federal Government to establish a Minerals Development Fund (MDF) to assist the mining sector.

Its president, Alhaji Sani Shehu, told newsmen that the association was faced with three needs that had been hampering its growth.

Shehu said one of those needs was heavy financial injection by government as enshrined in the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act 2007 to develop  the sector.

Reports say that Minerals and Mining Act 2007 stipulates that artisanal and small-scale mining operations in the country should have technical assistance and or funding of the World Bank through sustainable management of mineral resources projects.

“We are appealing to the president of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, to, in the spirit of economic diversification of the government, and as a matter of urgency, establish this Mineral Development Fund.

“The third challenge is the challenge of sensitisation and mobilisation, in which case, the association is ready to partner with government to sensitise miners at every level.’’

Shehu said that another problem was rules and regulations which, he said the association received few weeks ago.

He said that members of the association were willing to pay their royalties to government and were environmentally conscious to mine with consideration for health and safety regulations.