Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development will soon launch its automated website so as to make mining applications easier for potential investors who wish to apply for mining licenses.
Obadiah Simon Nkom, director general of Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, said this while addressing members of the Nigerian Mining and Geoscience Society (NMGS) recently.
According to Nkom, when launched, applicants could submit, track and verify their applications online.
“This will eliminate the troubles of waiting for months before decisions are taken. With the automated website, decisions are reached in weeks,” Nkom said.
In addition, the ministry is currently building offices across the six geopolitical zones in order to bring government closer to the people.
According to Nkom, the new offices will make data available for the general public as investors would not have to travel to Abuja to get the same information.
The director charged members of NMGS to rise to the occasion by providing the necessary geoscience data for the ministry to work with.
He acknowledged that Nigeria has a favourble geology but not enough data on mineral occurrences. Even where data exist, institutional and legal framework seem to be lacking, he said.
“What process in respect to regulatory, institutional and legal framework have been put in place to be able to develop these minerals in orderly manner?” the director asked.
When this is in place, according to Nkom, it will harness the industry from local investors to foreign investors, which will ultimately develop the industry to the benefit of the country.
JOSEPH MAURICE OGU
