September 17, 2024

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

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Oil & Gas

NEITI seeks technical support from Australia, others

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), has sought for technical assistance from Australia, Belgium and Canada to deepen Nigeria’s extractive industry reforms.

The reform programme is designed to deal with challenges of corruption, oil theft, illegal mining, stealing of minerals, pipeline vandalisation and associated governance challenges.

Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary of the NEITI, made the call during a courtesy visit by the Belgian Ambassador and High Commissioners of Australia and Canada to NEITI House, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the visiting diplomats include the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ms Leilani Bin-Juda, Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, Pieter Leenknegt and Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jamie Christoff.

The visit focuses on engendering partnership and exploring ways to deepen engagement.

Orji therefore called for collaboration on anti-corruption and natural resource governance, capacity building, diplomatic support and engagement, information, data and knowledge sharing.

“As supporting member countries to the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), your visit is an opportunity to seek and domesticate technical support of your respective countries to the EITI.

“This will connect directly with Nigerian citizens who earnestly desire that the abundant natural resources in this country works for the benefit of all, not just a few,” he said.

According to Orji, NEITI’s legitimate interest is to save Nigeria from continuing loss of revenues and investment opportunities in the sector.

He said that NEITI’s industry reports and recommendations over the years supported local and global partnerships as well as collaboration to address the challenges.

Orji said that such partnership between NEITI and the countries would provide the opportunity and linkage given its in-depth exposure to the issues and challenges at the grassroots.

He described the visit as a huge encouragement to NEITI, and an endorsement of its strong international affiliation and partnership with 57 other resource-rich countries under the global EITI.

He said the fully automated NEITI Data Centre was completed, and awaiting unveiling, adding that the centre has been adjudged as the first of its kind among the 57 EITI-implementing countries.

“It is a one-stop shop for information and data on Nigeria’s extractive sector (consisting of oil, gas and solid minerals)”.

Amb. Sunday Adoli, Member, NEITI, National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG), North Central Representative, lauded the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and partners that encouraged more cooperation to boost activities in extractive industries.

In his remarks,  Leenknegt pledged more support to the global EITI and NEITI in fostering transparency, accountability and good governance.

Also, Christoff expressed satisfaction with the NEITI’s activities, lauded its data centre, and emphasised the need for data to achieve transparency, public enlightenment and good governance between all tiers of governments.

On partnership, Christoff said the Canadian government had an existing partnership with Nigeria on anti corruption, adding that it would be sustained.

While Bin-Juda commended NEITI over the production of policy reports for information and contextual balance, thereby endorsing partnership on information and knowledge sharing.

Highlights of the visit are a facility tour of the new NIETI Data Centre and the presentation of plagues to the dignitaries by the NEITI boss.

The centre will also serve as a reservoir for all information and data published in the various NEITI Annual Industry Reports since the first edition in 2004 till date. (NAN)

Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

General News

Tinubu urges fight against exploitation of African mineral resources

By Salif Atojoko

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday charged African leaders to combat exploitation of the continent’s solid minerals.

 

The President said this when he received a delegation of African Ministers of Solid Minerals under the auspices of African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG).

 

The group was led to the President by its Chairman, Mr Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, at the State House.

 

“We will lead the continent to self-realisation on the value of our minerals and economic ingenuity, and this will occur as we free it from undue exploitation and abuse,” the President said.

 

In his remarks, Alake said the group was formed out of necessity and the realisation of the “divide and rule tactics’’ that had weakened the negotiating power of African countries in the global market.

 

He explained that the international fora held to strategise on solid minerals in Africa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, earlier in the year, highlighted the need for Africans to seize the opportunity that the global energy transition offered.

 

“The world needs critical metals for energy transition; green energy, and these critical metals are largely deposited in Africa.

 

“So, African nations and representatives at that Riyadh Conference came together and decided that if we do not come together and speak with one voice, then those who have exploited Africans for centuries will continue to do so,” he stated.

 

Alake said, “divide and rule tactics’’ had been consistently used over many years to weaken the bargaining power of African countries and the real valuation of their natural assets.

 

“They have been employing divide and rule tactics.

 

“So, we had presentations and adopted the local value-addition policies, which have been recommended for all African countries, and a number of presidents have started making pronouncements on policies along the line,” he said.

 

According to him, at the Riyadh Conference, this group was formed to synergise among African countries to ensure uniformity of policies.

 

He said this would prevent a situation where an investor would come to Nigeria to invest in a particular area, and if the terms were too stringent, go to Benin Republic, Congo, or Malawi.

 

“We saw that if we all come together to form a common policy direction, and when an investor comes to Nigeria and meets a brick wall, he will meet a brick wall in all other African countries and will be compelled to return to the first country.

 

“So, the issue of divide and rule which has been a mechanism used to exploit our continent for centuries will no longer be tenable,” the Minister said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Mr Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development
Economy/Business

FG revokes 1,633 mining titles, warns illegal miners

By Kadiri Abdulrahman

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, on Tuesday announced revocation of 1,633 mining titles for defaulting in payment of annual service fees.

Alake made this known at  a news  conference in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to him, in compliance with the law, the Mining Cadastral Office (MCO) on Oct.  4, began the process of revoking 2,213 titles.

“These included 795 exploration titles, 956 small scale mining licences, 364 quarry licences and 98 mining leases.

“These were published in the Federal Government Gazette Number 178, Volume 110 of Oct. 10 with the notice of revocation for defaulting in the payment of annual service fee.

“The mandatory 30 days expired on Nov. 10. Only 580 title holders responded by settling their indebtedness.

“With this development, the MCO recommended the revocation of 1, 633 mineral titles as follows: Exploration Licence, 536; Quarry Licence, 279; Small Scale Mining Licence, 787 and Mining Lease, 31.

“In line with the powers conferred on me by the NMMA 2007, Section 5 (a), I have approved the revocation of the 1,633 titles,” the minister said.

He said that the titles would be reallocated to more serious investors.

He warned the previous holders of the titles to leave the relevant cadaster with immediate effect.

He said that security agencies would work with the mines inspectorate of the ministry to apprehend any defaulter found on any of the areas where titles had been revoked.

“We have no doubt in our mind that the noble goals of President Bola Tinubu  to sanitise the solid minerals sector and position the industry for international competitiveness are  alive and active.

“We appeal to all stakeholders for their co-operation in achieving these patriotic objectives and encourage those who have done business in this sector the wrong way to turn a new leaf.

“Ultimately, the Nigerian people shall be the winners,” he said.

According to Alake, It is indeed very unconscionable for corporate bodies making huge profits from mining to refuse to give the government its due by failing to pay their annual service fee.

“It is indeed a reasonable conjecture that such a company will even be more unwilling to pay royalties and honour its tax obligations to the government.

“The amount the companies are being asked to pay is peanut compared to their own revenue projections.

” For example, the holder of an exploration title pays only N1,500 per cadastral unit not exceeding 200 units. Those holding titles covering more than 200 units pay N2,000 per unit, In short, the larger the area your title covers, the more you pay.

“This principle was applied to ensure that applicants do not hold more than they require to explore.

“With a cadastral unit captured as a square of 500 metres by 500 metres, any law-abiding title holder should not hesitate to perform its obligations,” he said.

The minister said that every sector required a governance system that regulated the conduct of its participants, the procedures for entry and exit, the obligations of the government to participants and the penalties for non-compliance.

He said that the philosophy of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 was to establish a rational system of administering titles transparently and comprehensively to ensure a seamless transition from reconnaissance to exploration and from exploration to mineral extraction.

“The principal agency for the administration of titles is the MCO, which receives applications, evaluates them, and issues titles with the approval of the office of minister of solid minerals development.

“Although the MCO has tried to improve its efficiency by adopting new application administration technology, it continues to face challenges in monitoring the compliance of title holders,” he said.

He warned illegal miners to desist from their illegal activities as their “days were numbered ”. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chioma Ugboma

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