By Paul Michael
The Honourable Minister of State for Mines and Steel development, Uchechukwu Ogah has said the mining sector needs formalization through support and policy formation to drive industrialization in the country.
The Minister spoke to The Trumpet newspaper last week at the inter house sports competition of Beautiful Beginning Academy (BBA) held at Aguiyi Ironsi Cantonment, Asokoro, Abuja. Adding that President Muhammadu Buhari has given a mandate that the economy should be diversified from oil-base through agriculture and solid minerals.
Ogah, who was represented at the event by Kelechi Ekugo, also noted that he is driving the narrative of formalization of the mining industry to contribute to the economic base and industrialization of the country.
“The mandate has been very clear from Mr. President; there is a need to diversify the economy base outside crude oil and Mr. President has highlighted the Agriculture and Solid Minerals sectors as two pinpointed sectors for economic diversification,” he said.
The Minister further added that in his “capacity he has been very focused on formalizing the mining sector. It is an informal sector today, which needs to be formalized through support interventions, policy interventions and all of that.
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“Also, the sector is an instrument to industrialization because these are raw materials like Led, Tin, Zinc and all of that, that are very critical to inputs into manufacturing.”
Earlier in her speech, the Managing Director of BBA, Dr. (Mrs) Roseline Okoye said inter house sports competition helps to build the child to take up other important careers in the future. Adding that the school also instills morals on the students to make them useful to society after their school days.
“The reason for this inter house sports is because we are trying to bring out skills in the children and then you know that no matter how hard you try as a group, as a team and as a people, there will still be some that will be footballers in the end. There are some that will be medical doctors, so we are trying to use this inter house sports to bring out those talents, so that later in life the children can develop it.
“Again, it also helps the brain of the children because it is said that all work and no play make Jack a dull boy.
“Other than strong Academics, I stand for morals, I love children to be morally trained because I know that attitude is everything. Now even if a child comes out with first class and that child does not have an attitude, no matter where that person is in life, the person will be frustrated.
“So, what we do in our schools is try to start now to inculcate into them morals because I have personally seen that that particular thing called morals is lacking in our society,” she said.
The highpoint of the ceremony was award presentation to some deserving dignitaries among whom were Honourable Minister of State for Mines and Steel development, Uchechukwu Ogah; Barr. (Mrs) Pat Komolafe; Chief (Mrs) Kenny Okorie and Hon. Ginika Tor Williams.
