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FG Inaugurates Committee On Salt And Kaolin Production

Published

10 months ago

November 15, 2023

Joel Ajayi

In line with it’s Renewed Hope Agenda to enhance local capacity for industrialisation and promote value addition in the solid minerals sector, the Federal Government has inagurated a 10- man Committee to strengthen the mechanism for full scale and industrial production of Salt and Kaolin in the country.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony held on Wednesday at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Solid Minerals Development/ Steel Development, Dr Mary Ogbe stated that the initiative to explore and exploit Salt and Kaolin aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu led administration to increase domestic use, capacity for export and boost employment opportunities.

Dr Ogbe said: ”In order to change the narrative and kick start the development of our nation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, with his Renewed Hope Agenda has challenged us to believe in our country and develop it as we do not have another country.

”It is this consideration that is behind the strong desire of the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Oladele Alake to develop the exploration exploitation and processing of salt and Kaolin in Nigeria for Nigeria’s use and subsequent export. This will provide jobs for Nigerians, conserve foreign exchange and boost our economy.”

The Permanent Secretary charged the 10- man Committee with the following terms of reference:

a. Determine the extent of deposits and locations of brine and rock salt and Kaolin in Nigeria.

b. Determine the number and viability of licenses issued for the exploration and exploitation of these minerals.

c. Determine the cost of exploration of those sites to ascertain the quantum of the existence of brine, rock salts and Kaolin ( if this has not been determined before).

d.Propose the way forward to actualizing the building of Salt and Kaolin Processing plants in Nigeria with a given time frame.
e. Come up with any other.

recommendation that will assist the Government in taking proactive measures to develop the sector.

Elaborating further, Dr Ogbe gave a timeline, on or before 30 November 2023 to the Committee for submission of its report in view of the urgency of the assignment.
Prof. Zachaeus Opafunsho, the Director- General/CEO of Council for Mining Engineers and Geoscientists of Nigeria will serve as Chairman of the Committe, while Mrs. Salamatu Umar, Director Special Duties Department in the Ministry is the Secretary.

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How Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso Repositioning the Raw Materials Sector For Economic Diversification

Published

4 days ago

September 3, 2024

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

As we embark on a journey, we always pray for an able, experienced, and courageous driver, pilot, or sailor depending on the means of transportation.

This is because the captain will have enough experience and boldness to navigate out of turbulence and to bring all the passengers and crew to the intended destination.

Interestingly, these fine qualities of ability, experience, boldness, and many more, abound in the man, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso, who we all are pleased was appointed the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, the Director General/CEO by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a few months ago.

This is because he has brought his knowledge, ability, experience, and doggedness to bear in carrying out his assignment in charge of the Council.

The RMRDC, operating under the Federal

The Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, is pivotal in driving Nigeria’s industrial growth by optimizing local raw materials exploitation, development, and utilization. RMRDC, ab initio, was conceived as a child of necessity when Nigeria was reeling from the throes of global recession and plummeting crude oil prices.

Without an iota of doubt, today, the council is experiencing a transformation with massive innovation in raw material exploitation, development, and utilization, supporting business and industrial growth, and contributing to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.

Speaking this during a press briefing on Tuesday, in Abuja to commemorate his 100 days in office said the council is laying a solid foundation through numerous innovations that will further enhance growth in the country.

According to him, in the past 100 days, my strategic pursuits have been to lay solid foundations for enduring success in these goals.

“Upon assuming this position, I set five crucial deliverables which include, refocusing the Council as a premier research institution; Strengthening the Council’s productivity and operational efficiency; Significantly improving the staff welfare to be the best in the class of similar organizations;

“Others include, Boosting the Council’s visibility and instituting remarkable culture change that encourages ownership and productivity as well as Strengthening and deepening the Council’s place in the international arena.”

While speaking on his Achievements so far, the DG revealed: “My first task, therefore, was to implement a strategic goal-setting for the Council’s staff to define and set out clear objectives and targets to be achieved by the Council within a specified period towards refocusing on this historical mandate. We unleashed five significant initiatives in that regard.

“The nationwide raw material data collection exercise that focused on technical and investment information. erships to drive our mission forward.

“The restructuring and renaming of the former Technology Innovation Complex (TIC) at the Obasanjo Space Center at Airport Road, Abuja, to a Research and Demonstration Plants Complex (RDPC). This complex will be Africa’s first center of excellence in raw material research, featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, technology development workshops, and proof of concept demonstrations.

“We have reactivated the Council’s Journal and repositioned it internationally. The repositioned Journal of Raw Material Research [JORMAR] will host RMRDC’s researchers’ publications, which are crucial in promoting awareness, facilitating knowledge sharing, and informing stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s raw materials sector.

“The collaboration with universities and academies will strengthen our capacity for conducting market-guided research, ensuring sustained workforce training while deepening our orientation in science.

The council has reformulated a new template for all our research proposals to ensure and sustain a clear departure from the old culture of blue-sky and deliberately endless research.

Speaking further, Prof Nwanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso stated that Staff welfare remains a top priority as an issue of unpaid salaries is settled as well as set up a comprehensive welfare program.

“Similarly, we established the RMRDC Training School to sustainably build our staff and stakeholders’ capacity to further the staff welfare improvement goal.

“We are committed to openness, inclusiveness, and performance management and have initiated steps to continuously improve staff ownership, orchestrate transformative culture change, boost our corporate visibility, and enhance

“To further strengthen our visibility and communication strategies, we are upgrading our media infrastructure, which includes the launch of the RMRDC online media platform, The RMRDC TV Online.

“Additionally, we are working hard to effectively enhance the intellectual property and patent portfolio of RMRDC from its current 40 to approximately 200 new patents within the next 24 months. This proactive approach secures valuable IP assets and positions the Council as a leader in innovation within the raw materials sector, contributing to Nigeria’s overall economic growth.

“As well as launching an e-registration and certification portal to enhance transparency in the raw materials sector,” DG revealed.

He however reaffirmed his commitment to reshape the future of research, technology, and innovation, driving Nigeria towards an industrially vibrant and technologically resilient economy.

“As I mark 100 days in office, I boldly say that the Council is on the verge of rewriting its history.

“I believe that in no distant future, RMRDC will play a leading role in enhancing raw materials’ development to boost raw materials’ industrial trial processing and attain sustainable industrial growth in Nigeria.

DG, however, applauded the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for his unwavering support and mentorship, saying the Minister’s leadership has been instrumental in the progress made so far.

In his opening remarks, the Directorate of Corporate Affairs, Mr Chucks Ngaha commended the hard-working DG who has weathered the storm further to put the Council on the ladder of more prosperity.

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