By Adedapo Adesanya
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Dele Alake has disclosed that the federal government has generated a total of N16.4 billion from May 2023 to April 2024 from mining royalty and sundry fees through the Mining Cadastral Office (MCO), an agency under the ministry that is in charge of mineral title administration.
Mr Alake disclosed this as part of the sectoral updates series to mark the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in Abuja.
He said the above figure was a surplus of N6.7 billion over and above the target of N10.5 billion set for the agency.
The Minister further revealed that the ministry generated and collected the sum of N14.938 billion as of the year ended December 31, 2023, and this represents 72.1 per cent positive variance and 172.1 per cent performance when compared with the annual budgetary target of N8,680,197,621.00 for the year 2023.
He also reported that the ministry, through the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), collaborated with GeoScan Gmbh for the exploration and development of Nigerian critical mineral resources using innovative technology.
He stated that the ministry had also struck a deal with the African Finance Corporation (AFC) to raise a project development facility to fund companies facing the challenge of raising capital to execute their early-stage exploration projects, adding that at least 20 candidates had been shortlisted and were undergoing training to prepare and manage the funds efficiently.
“Another initiative of SMDF is its partnership with the global exploration agency, XCalibur. Both are working together to advance Nigeria’s geological data capabilities.
“The SMDF is the face of the Ministry as the partner of choice for international mining companies. It mobilises capital for critical and strategic mining projects, attracts foreign direct investment, and fast-tracks the delivery of final investment decisions,” he explained.
On the gathering of big data, he said the ministry proposed a N70 billion exploration funding for it.
He, however, noted that although it was not accommodated in the current budget, the ministry would continue to make a strong case for this project as the panacea to the difficulty in mineral exploitation in Nigeria.
