UNIDO Wants Small Scale Miners Operations Formalised

The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), has called on Nigeria and other African countries to formalise the operations of Artisanal and small Scale Miners (ASM), through formulation of policies and regulatory framework.
Regional Director and Country representative for Nigeria and ECOWAS, Jean Bakole, who made this known to aviation correspondents in Port Harcourt said that, such move will enhance the development of the mining sector.
He said that, when policies are formulated and regulatory frame work properly executed in favour of ASM, the Nigerian Mining Sector will be grossly unearthed.
Bakole said the Nigeria economy really needs a shift from dependence on Petroleum to other sectors like the solid minerals.
According to him, formalizing operations of the ASM would give them access to services and incentives, technologies, finance as well as business development skills among others.
He said that, such would also engender collaboration between government, ASM and players in the sector and ensure effective monitoring of the sub-sector.
The United Nations official said that, formalising the operations of ASM would also help to coordinate the efforts of clustering miner groups into modern cooperatives.
“It will help to regulate the requirements for health and safety, improve market and environmental protection and it will also assist them access government tax holiday incentives and generate income and create jobs”, he said.

Corlins Walter