Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, says powerful Nigerians involved in illegal mining are the sponsors of banditry and terrorism in the country.
He made this revelation at a budget defence meeting with the House Committee on Solid Minerals, he also said the Ministry’s N29 billion budget proposal for 2024 is grossly inadequate.
Economic diversification is one of the pillars upon which the Tinubu administration is built and the solid minerals sector plays a significant role.
The House Committee on Solid Minerals says it is ready to lend support to the government in this regard.
Just before delving into the figures, the Minister outlines his seven point agenda targeted at increasing the sector’s contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product.
He says plans are on to sanitise the operational procedures of the sector and inject mechanisms that will compel people to do the right thing.
More importantly, in tackling insecurity.
But speaking on the N29 billion as proposed budget for the ministry in 2024, the Minister said it is grossly inadequate
But, he insists the Ministry will do its best to optimise performance.
At its inuagural meeting, the House committee on Petroleum Downstream advocates continuous review of the Petroleum Industry Act to meet local and foreign needs.
