What We’ve Achieved In Mines And Steel – Outgoing Minister

As the first tenure of President Mohammed Buhari comes to an end today, the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Abubakar Bawa Bwari, said the ministry’s outgoing management will leave it better then it met it in 2015.

Bwari, who spoke at a handover event on Tuesday at the mines and steel ministry in Abuja, said the administration in the last three and half years developed the country’s steel industry into a vibrant sector.

 “In all humility this administration has been kind to this sector and I can proudly say that we are leaving it better than we found it,” he said.

Highlighting the ministry’s milestones, Bwari said   “We are leaving it with better funding mechanism, including a 5bn loans scheme at very cheap rate.

“We are leaving it more accurate data on both the quantity and quality of our mineral resources, we are leaving it with high   class doing rate and assessment station for earth quark detection.

“We are leaving it with similar state-of-the-art equipment at the national metrological development centres Jos and the national steel world research agency Kaduna.

“We are leaving it with the national board purchase scheme which will be funded through a presidential antecenal gold mining initiative which will promote mining and refining of gold for purchase by the central bank of Nigeria under the Federal Reserve treasury scheme.”

Bwari however urged the directors in the ministry not to relent effort in moving the sector forward as there were still more work to be accomplished.

“We still have some unfulfilled things, so we are not there yet. The world of mining is a very scientific one and very important to the growth of the sector, so as regulators you most continually train and retrain yourself to become experts in your field so that you can continue to say that set agenda for the industry.

“I am confident that as professionals, you have the ability to turn the fortunes of the minerals and metals sector around, but you must brace up and stop playing second fiddle.

“We have laid a solid foundation for the sector and it is now left for you to build on our successes. I want to urge you, as management and staff of the ministry to keep the momentum going. So that Nigerians hope economic diversification through the solid minerals sector would be accomplished.”

“The measure of confidence that investors will have in your laws, programs and policies will depend largely on the respect they have for the integrity of your processes. It is that respect that will eventually lead them to commit huge resources to invest in the sector.

“The truth is, we have world-class mineral resources, many of which are in the best possible grade. We must now show the world that we have the capacity and willpower to attract businessmen who are looking for places to invest,” he added.