The Tinubu Media Volunteers (TMV) has hailed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Nigeria and France on mining during President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to France.
Mr Chukwudi Enekwechi, TMV Chairman in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the agreement would go a long way in making Nigeria’s solid mineral sector more lucrative and vibrant.
He said for the first time in Nigeria, clarity and sanity were being witnessed in the solid minerals sector under the Tinubu-led administration.
He said before now, Nigerians were totally in the dark regarding the activities of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development
“We want to say that it is gratifying that most of the elements of the MoU with France are meant to reposition the sector for the overall development and diversification of the economy,” Enekwechi said.
He noted that a major part of the agreement was the remediation of 2,000 mining pits by the French authorities which had remained devastated by environmental degradation over the years.
He further noted that the agreement would also focus on research, training, and Franco–Nigerian student exchanges for the acquisition of knowledge and skills transfer.
He said these positive measures were visionary on the part of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, whose appointment had led to a turn-around in the sector.
Enekwechi explained that the part of the agreement that focused on sustainable mining activities and programmes was aimed at reducing the environmental impact on water consumption and climate change.
He expressed optimism that this would transform the value chain and enable Nigerians to reap the numerous economic potentials of the sector.
“The result is that with these agreements, international best practices will be infused into the activities of the solid minerals sector.
“Also, apart from bringing transparency to the operations of the sector, communities affected by mining activities will have cause to reap from the natural deposits on their land,”Enekwechi said.
The TMV chairman commended Alake, for being at the forefront of efforts to realise the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu.
