NEITI, GCM harp on collaboration by West African miners

By Gabriel Ewepu

THE Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, and the Ghana Chamber of Mines, GCM, yesterday, harped on closer collaboration by West African miners to harness the enormous solid minerals potential in the sub-region. Speaking in Abuja at a West African mining conference, Executive Secretary, NEITI, Waziri Adio, said the mining sector should begin to play a catalytic role in economic growth and development.

Adio who spoke on how best the mining sector could move forward in different areas of collaborations and utilise the proceeds from mining for the betterment of the people in the sub-region, said: “Nigeria is a frontline mining country and we are coming. West Africa is highly endowed but we are also not as in the same league with our counterparts from southern African and other parts of the world, and we believe that we need to do much more for the overall development of our countries.

“Not just that we want to maximise the opportunities, but how do we do it in a way that it would translate to jobs, growth, human development for our nations and across the world. We should do this not by exploring and exporting but also by adding value. Mining sector can play catalytic role. We see an intersection while we exist, which is our citizens across the sub region benefit from the endowments God has given us.

“We also believe that both the government and the private sector should  come together because people in government formulate policies but without the operators organising themselves in such a way that they can also be part of policy making it can set agenda and shape policies. We look forward to further collaborate with the miners in Nigeria, and also with the federation to make sure that we are able to capture the adequate benefits for the mining sector and the overall development of our countries.”

In his remarks, President, GCM, Kwame, Addo-Kufuor, said, “It is time for us to work together, collaborate to exploit our minerals for the benefit of our countries and respective people because these God given minerals can form a catalyst for the growth of the economy. Let us be in hurry because this event would have happened 30 years ago and let us move quickly.”

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