Federal government in collaboration with the Kebbi State Government has flagged off the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining and Biometric Data Capture and Enrollment Excercise in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi.
The programme, which is a Federal Government initiative to be operated by the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (PAGMI), is partnering Kebbi State Government to formalise the artisanal mining groups for the much needed support and capacity building aimed to upscale their processes,create more jobs and enhanced incomes.
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arch Olamilekan Adegbite said the initiative under ( PAGMI) was to formalise the artisanal gold miners cooperatives with a view to support them.
He said the steps taken would lead to improved practices, access to finance & equipment, create jobs and sanitize the artisanal miners operations.
The minister further said ” undoubtedly, it will grow the economy of the state through diversification into solid minerals development”.
He added the flag off ceremony was part of ongoing process to support the formalisation and integration of artisanal and small scale gold mining activities into the nation’s legal , economic and institutional framework thereby promoting Nigerian mineral processing and value addition industries that strengthens backward and forward linkages, resolve any institutional and legal barriers that currently exists within the value chain.
The minister, who was represented by the Director, ASM, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr.Patrick Ojeka, announced that centralised buying centers would be established within the state, with the CBN as the sole offtaker while assuring that the program would smoothly be implemented and measures taken to ensure sustainability.
Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Hajiya Fatima Umaru Shinkafi explained that Kebbi and Osun were selected to kick start the pilot project.
She said the program was part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic diversification agenda through the Anchor Borrowers Program which Kebbi had excelled, and the solid Minerals sector.
She said: “Federal government wants to create more jobs in rural areas of Nigeria in line with his mission to create million jobs”.
Hajiya Fatima further said the National Identity Management Commission ( NIMC) would enroll the first batch of artisanal gold miners under the pilot scheme.
The Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu in his remarks commended President Buhari for selecting Kebbi State as one of the states to benefit from the pilot scheme.
The governor urged all the miners who will be registered to be good ambassadors, organized themselves and properly use whatever assistance that come their way while appealing to the them to ensure that they do their business in a transparent manner for the benefit of their families, state and Nigeria to reciprocate the kind gesture.
Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila ( Sadaukin Yauri) and the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in their seperate remarks applauded the Kebbi governor for his economic diversification efforts through tourism, agriculture and the formalisation of artisanal gold miners groups to rebuild the state’s economy for the future, and serve the vulnerable members of the society.
Dignitaries at the occasions are: the emirs of Gwandu, Yauri, Zuru, Borgu and kwantagora. Also top government officials, Senators, some National Assembly members as well as kebbi state house of Assembly members. Among others.
