An Open Letter To President Muhammadu Buhari
Mining Sector: A Neglected Industry (Goose) With
A Huge Potential For Inexplicable Development
(Golden Egg)
By The Federal University Of Technology Akure
Class 2013 Mining Engineering Graduates
Dear Mr. President,
We are the graduate set of Mining Engineering
2012/2013 (graduated 2014 due to strike action)
from The Federal University of Technology, Akure.
The only set of Bachelor of Engineering in Mining
Engineering produced in the country for the year
with many counterparts distributed across various
Polytechnics in the country.
We write to you with a sense of patriotism and
loyalty to our dear country and with utmost
respect for your leadership and administration.
We want to foremost commend you on your
pursuit against corruption which has withered our
economy, and the implementation of the process of
Justice in the civil sector. We commend you on
your fight against terrorism that is ravaging the
existence of the lives of our brothers and sisters in
the North-Eastern part of the country. Some of us
who served in this zone of Nigeria have seen the
horrors of terrorism and we will like to commend
the Nigerian Armed Forces for their sacrifice since
the war began. We commend you on your
executive order in the clearing of Ogoni land.
We also commend you on the foreign policies in
strengthening security and democracy across the
war ravaged countries in Africa and the stability
your leadership is promoting across divides of
Africa. Also, we congratulate the newly appointed
and confirmed ministers of the Nations with the
hope to get the best for the Ministry of Mines and
Steel Development (MMSD), and finally pray for the
fulfillment of the plans of this present dispensation;
with life longevity for his Excellency.
We as concerned citizens are writing you because
we want a leader like you to hear our salient
voices in our struggle towards promoting the Solid
Mineral industry. We and the industry have been
neglected without the hope of remembrance. We
have been shown no recognition in the labour
market for far too long than our conscience can
bear. The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development
(MMSD) was established in 1985 as a bold attempt
by the Nigerian government to offshoot the rapid
beneficial development of the country's Solid
Mineral resources. But the Ministry has had its
share of appeasement of some political actors
without the moral and intellectual capabilities to
handle the sector which have inexplicably crippled
a Ministry that has done well for other nations of
the world. Here is the list of Ministers of Mines and
Steel Development (MMSD) and their related
academic achievement since 2003.
1. Magnus Odion Ugbesa (July 2003-June 2005)
studied Political Science at First Degree and
International Relations at Masters and was a
lecturer before coming into Politics
2. Obiageli Ezekwesili (July 2005-June 2006) had
a Master's degree in International Law and
Diplomacy and a Master of Public Administration
degree trained and qualified as a Chartered
Accountant.
3. Leslye Obiorah (June 2006-May 2007) is a
Professor of Law
4. Sarafadeen Tunji Ishola (July 2007-Oct 2008)
obtained a Diploma in Marketing, was a lecturer at
the Federal College of Education, Katsina and later
joined the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation,
Abeokuta.
5. Diezani Alison-Madueke (Dec 2008-March 2010)
studied Architecture
6. Arc Musa Mohammed Sada (April 2010-May
2015) also studied Architecture.
Mr. President, We believe this gives a little
understanding where the neglect of the Ministry
emanated from. These people have not been able
to drive a formidable force to battle the Dutch
Disease the Oil Boom of 1970 brought to our land;
though we would not play ignorant of the policies
that have been made by them but we care more
about implementation than public information.
Sadly, the official website of the Ministry is not
assessable to the everyday internet users, which
speak volume of the rot, decay and neglect of the
Ministry; in which the original website
www.mmsd.gov.ng does not seems to exist
anymore. Mr. President, ‘information is key and
knowledge is power’. The first point of contact any
investor has with a country is based on
whatsoever information the investors get to see on
her website and that triggers and influences the
physical presence of the investors. We believe no
investor wants to come to a country with a dark
view of neither their resources nor an out-of-date/
nonexistence website. We desire a change and an
upgrade in the Ministry of Mines and Steel
Development (MMSD) Sir.
Mr. President, We are addressing you as promising
and courageous citizens with the understanding of
the greatness the Solid Mineral sector can add to
an emerging economy like Nigeria which presently
accounts for only 0.3% of its Gross Domestic
Product (GDP). Comparing with fellow African
economies, the Mining sector in South Africa
accounted for 8.3% of GDP directly and nominal
mining GDP of R279.7 billion was recorded in
2013, up from R270.2 billion in 2012. In Ghana,
Mining industry account for 5% of the GDP whence
the industry was expected to generate a revenue of
US$35 billion in 2014. Namibia Mining sector
made a direct contribution of 13% to GDP in 2014
with a revenue of N$21.61 billion, a 3.25 percent
increase from 2013. While in Canada,
Approximately 380,000 people across Canada work
in the Mining and Mineral processing industries.
Also, Mining contributed $54 billion to Canada’s
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013 and the
industry accounted for 19.6% of the value of
Canadian goods exports in 2013. The only
question we ask ourselves while in school was
“What are these Economies doing right that we
cannot do better than them?” We have the
Manpower and the intellectual prowess but our
(Mining Engineers) neglect has made us a product
of deviation into the Oil and Gas industry or even
Banking sector whilst a greater part of the
economy goes to shambles of oblivion.
Mr. President, it is imperative for the National Iron
Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) to be operational
again because since its inauguration in 1983, the
plant has been embroiled in managerial inaptitude
and controversy, ranging from allegations of
obsolete machines and outdated blast furnace
model among others. We understand as a matter
of fact and urgency that you are trying as much as
possible to block leakages, cut down government
expenses, repatriate stolen funds and so on but
these acts alone are not going to be enough to
sustain this great country’s economy if nothing is
done with the Solid Mineral Endowment of the
Nation which is enough to hold and stabilize our
economy as a country without the incurable
dependence on oil.
Mr President, what if crude sells between $25 –
$50 per barrel for the next 8 years, do we have a
hope as a Nation?
Another important reason why the Steel Industry
has to work in Nigeria is the fact that we can
actually produce military hardware, Nigeria made
automobiles, trains and even flying machines. All
we need to do is to invite manufacturing
companies to come and invest in Nigeria because
we have all it requires; the raw materials, the
Landmass and the Manpower. The Steel industry if
fully established will invariably generate nothing
less than a million jobs for our teeming
unemployed youths which will reduce the poverty
index of the Nation. The same industry will
generate power needed to carry out all the
production processes as this country has enough
coal reserve to power the whole Nation for years.
The good news about these progress is that they
are achievable within a very short period (36
months), and the best way to go about it is to seek
partnership with any economic giant in this
industry like South Africa, Canada, Australia,
among others which will boost our international
ties with these countries. Likewise, countries like
Russia and Germany in the manufacturing industry
for giant productivity.
Mr. President, we also like to bring to your
attention an area of grave concern in the mining
act; which is the restriction of state governments
from developing the solid mineral endowment in
their respective states due to the limitation of state
authority provided by the Exclusive Legislative list
in the 1999 Constitution. Item 39 in the Exclusive
List includes ‘Mines and minerals, including oil
fields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural
gas’. A majority of these states are so poor and
can barely survive, existing as they do on
allocations from the Federal Government.
Developing the Mining industry would boost the
economy of such states by increasing their Internal
Generated Revenue (IGR). A constitutional
amendment would be required to so permit greater
state government involvement but nonetheless it is
worth considering. As stated in your manifesto
titled ‘Roadmap to a New Nigeria’; “I will make
sure people at a local level benefit from mining and
mineral wealth by vesting all mineral rights in land
to state”. We believe your words are your bound,
as you are a man of integrity. Thereby, we hope to
get this promised fulfilled in earnest.
Just for the record Mr. President, we will like to
notify you about a fact as a reminder. Organized
mining in Nigeria began as early as 1903 under
the British colonial government. And by the 1940s,
the country had become a major producer of tin,
columbite, and coal. We as a Nation are blessed
with over thirty two (32) discovered profit making
solid minerals-iron ore, coal, tourmaline, gold,
kaolin, limestone, dolomite, beryl, glass sand,
bitumen, uranium, tin and its associated minerals
and recently gypsum-which are found in
commercial deposits across the country. Coal, for
instance is a major player in the world’s energy
mix. It makes up over 23% of the energy consumed
in the world and it is used to generate over 40% of
the world’s electricity. 77% of South Africa’s
energy needs are provided by coal while our
country is still experiencing insufficient power
supply despite the fact the country has the best
kind of coal. Likewise, Bitumen is used for making
asphalt concrete for road surfaces and accounts
for approximately 85% of the asphalt consumed in
the United States while we still suffer of good roads
irrespective of the abundance of Bitumen in our
Nation. Many and innumerable Gemstones the
world requires are buried beneath our feet but we
are swayed by the sweetness of Oil.
Mr. President, We have a future as Nigerians
blessed with the understanding of our
endowments-human and natural resources. We
have a hope as a Nation filled with brains and
intelligential that know how these endowments can
be harnessed towards a common good for the
poor populace. Most of all, we have a leader that
sees beyond, plans ahead, and makes a stance for
the good and prosperity of his citizenry. And we
believe someday, we will be proud not only as
Nigerians but as Mining Engineers that sees the
future-Solid Mineral-buried under the crust of our
land. We hold on to the faith that we will soon
smile to the World Economic Forum to talk about
the inventions and developments mining has
brought to our Nation and not about the
unpredictable oil price. We will advise the United
Nations as regards the unseen benefit embedded
in the Solid Mineral endowment.
Mr. President, we have a hope not just for
ourselves alone but for those we left in school with
our present challenges and worries for their future
in this country and most of all for posterity and the
children in our bowels that might take this path of
exploration.
Mr. President we need your intervention in this
abandoned, dying, malnourished and neglected
Goose capable of laying Unlimited Golden Egg.
Thank you while we await your reliable response.
Yours’ Respectfully,
Mining Engineering Graduate 2013

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