By Peter Ibrahim
Kaduna State Deputy Governor Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe has said the state is set to harness the potentials of the solid mineral sector to achieve economic diversification. She stated this at the opening of an International Conference of the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers, at Command Guest Inn in Kaduna, with the theme “Public-Private Partnership: A Tool for Sustainable Development of Nigeria’s Mining Industry.”
Dr. Balarabe said that Kaduna State Government will work in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, professional bodies, and other key industry players to harness the huge potentials of the sector, adding that the state was endowed with several mineral resources across the 23 LGAs. He further stated that the administration of Senator Uba Sani “has taken very important and significant steps to diversify the state’s economy because what we need is a kind of sustainability and stability of the state.”
“There is a lot that needs to be done in Kaduna, and relying on only one source of revenue will not augur well for the state. So we are looking at other sectors to see how we can get in as much as we can because we have to live by our name as the capital of Northern Nigeria,” the Deputy Governor said.
She further said the state government was sustaining the investment drive started by the previous administration to woo more investments, especially in the mining sector, adding that professional bodies like the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers had a role to play in supporting the state government’s effort.
We have held seven Kaduna Investment Summits, Kadinvest, and we will soon host Kadinvest 8.0. So, we have been open for business, and we have expanded our frontiers. There are so many things we can do together with professionals like you to expand our frontiers into other sectors like mining,” Dr. Balarabe said.
The Deputy Governor appealed for the support of the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers in addressing illegal mining, which she said was a big challenge in the sector. She said, “This is where we must all put our hands on deck so that the government and the organized private sector can make good of what is available for the benefit of the state.”
