Mining, The Next Focus For Nigeria’s Development – Ogbe

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, MMSD, Dr. Mary Ogbe says collaboration among the agencies and associations affiliated with the mining sector will boost the nation’s economy.

Dr Ogbe made this at the first International conference of the Nigerian Association of Exploration Geophysicist, NAEG, held in Abuja.

She stressed that mining is the next focus for economic development in Nigeria can only be achieved through collaboration and teamwork among agencies.

The Permanent Secretary, therefore called for collaboration and urged participants at the conference to make meaningful use of the opportunity to acquire skills and information that would aid the development of the sector and the country.

“We need the collaboration of every agency and association of this noble profession, Mining, and Geoscience to work with the ministry, as we all know now the focus is on mining to develop our economy, so we need this synergy to move our country forward” Dr. Ogbe added.

“This type of association and conference are very important as they aid in the provision of important skills that would ordinarily take a long time to learn.

“This meeting is very crucial and I employ anyone that is here to make the most of it.
In the areas of research and sharing of data that is relevant to the sector.” The Permanent Secretary emphasized.

In his address of welcome, the President of the Nigerian Association of Exploration Geophysicists, NAEG, Akinola George said the association is like an institution where the practices of exploration geophysics are taught and demonstrated.

“We are taught in such a way that in the end, we shall be conversant with the understanding of every exploration geophysical expedition before and after collecting the field data for interpretation” George noted.

He explained that the association was inaugurated on March 20, 2017, with sixty-one registered members and has grown to 126 as seen in the record of the conference.

There were presentation of awards to the first female Professor of exploration geophysics in Nigeria Professor Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye and the unveiling of the NAEG constitution by the Permanent Secretary.

There were also good will messages from the Director-General of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency, Dr. Abdulrazaq Garba, the Director General, Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, Simon Obadiah Nkom, the President Nigeria Mining and Geosciences society, Professor Akinade Olatunji among others in the sector.

Participants were drawn from government agencies and the mining sector across the country.

Georgina Humphrey, Edited By Grace Namiji