Alake Woos Investors to Taraba, Says Mineral Wealth Must Translate to Jobs, Industries

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has called on investors to explore Taraba State’s mineral resources, urging them to support the state’s ambition to become a major mining destination.

Alake made the call in Jalingo at the Taraba State Solid Minerals Investment Roundtable convened by the state government to attract private capital into the mining sector.

The minister said Taraba’s mineral potential could only be converted into bankable investment opportunities through credible geological data, infrastructure, security, value addition and clear benefits for host communities.

He said the Federal Government was prepared to support the state in developing its mineral resources into viable projects capable of creating jobs, stimulating industries and generating sustainable revenue.

Alake commended Governor Agbu Kefas for convening the roundtable, describing it as an important step towards attracting private investment and diversifying both the state and national economy.

He said Nigeria must reduce its dependence on petroleum and build an economy driven by production, industrialisation and responsible exploitation of its mineral resources.

According to him, rising global demand for minerals used in advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure and the energy transition presents new opportunities for Nigeria’s mining industry.

The minister, however, cautioned against marketing unverified mineral occurrences as investment opportunities, saying serious investors would require reliable geological information before committing capital.

He said geological mapping, exploration, drilling, resource definition, as well as environmental and social assessments, were necessary to establish the viability of mining projects.

Alake therefore urged the Taraba State Government to develop a focused pipeline of well-researched mineral projects that could be matched with investors possessing the required technical and financial capacity.

He also identified security as a critical requirement for the development of the mining sector.

The minister disclosed that the Federal Government, with the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had established a specialised security arrangement to tackle illegal mining and protect legitimate mining operations in Taraba and other mineral-rich parts of the country.

He commended the state government’s efforts to improve security, saying the development had strengthened Taraba’s prospects as an investment destination.

Alake also urged investors to move beyond the extraction and export of raw minerals by establishing processing and value-addition facilities within the state.

He said such an approach would create industries around Taraba’s mineral resources, generate employment and ensure that more economic value remained within the state.

Responding, Governor Kefas said his administration would ensure that the investment roundtable produced concrete projects rather than ending as another gathering where commitments were made without implementation.

Kefas said the state was moving away from unregulated and informal mining towards properly licensed and responsible mining, with emphasis on security, environmental protection, local processing and value addition.

He said his administration would ensure that mining communities benefited from activities taking place in their areas through employment, economic opportunities and sustainable development.

The governor directed relevant ministries, departments and agencies to establish a Taraba Solid Minerals Investment Facilitation Desk to serve as a one-stop platform for coordinating investors, government agencies and host communities.

The desk, he said, would coordinate geological information, land access, business support, security, infrastructure and community engagement to make investment in the sector easier and more predictable.

Kefas further directed that serious investors identified during the roundtable be linked to specific mineral opportunities and provided with clear implementation plans in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.

He said the state expected a practical action plan by December 30, covering identified investors, mineral opportunities, host locations, required approvals and timelines for site acquisition and project commissioning.

The governor stressed that the success of the roundtable would not be measured by the number of speeches delivered but by the investments secured, projects established, jobs created and industries developed from the state’s mineral resources.