₦airaland Forum

First choice - Osinbajo
Second choice- Osinbajo

Towards ensuring growth and investment in the mining sector, the federal government has announced that the amendment of the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act (NMMA) is underway.

This was disclosed on Tuesday by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the opening ceremony of the 5th annual mining week, themed; “Seven Compelling Reasons to Invest in Nigeria’s Mining Sector.”

The announcement is coming at a time experts have consistently reiterated the call for an amendment of the Act.

They said the current mining laws do not conform to the modern-day reality of global best practices, and by implication hampers the growth and development of the mining industry.

Mr Osinbajo at the virtual event revealed that the development of the sector is an important component of the nation’s economic policy. He said the mining sector features prominently in the National Development Plan 2021 to 2025, as approved by the Federal Executive Council about a week ago.

He said: “Concurrently, there is an ongoing review of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007, aimed at bringing legislation into conformity with global best practices, limiting the role of the government to that of regulation, and creating the space for the private sector to maintain a more expansive presence in the sector.

“So as we deepen our efforts to revitalize the mining sector, we are doing so with lessons learned from a half-century of resource extraction. We recognize, for instance, that it is not enough to seek investments merely for the sake of exploitation and extraction. Rather than writing this new chapter of economic growth, our aim is to develop local industries, generate employment, and focus on resource beneficiation to create wealth along the mineral value chain.

“The Mining Roadmap Implementation Strategy Team (MIST), a team set up in 2016 to implement the roadmap, stated in the report that: “there may be the need to review some of the laws as contained in the Mining Act of 2007 as they may no longer be achievable given the current business operating environment.”

He said the team had noted that lack of enforcement of the enabling laws leads to the failings of the Mining Act.
Nigeria’s mining law
The Nigerian Mineral and Mining Act 2007 was re-enacted to repeal the Minerals and Mining Act No. 34 of 1999 for the purpose of regulating all aspects of the exploration and exploitation of solid minerals in Nigeria.

However, despite the gloomy view by the general public, the sector has recorded tremendous growth since the inception of the current administration as noted by the Vice President who cited “notable inflow of investments and increase in revenue generation.”

He said: “It is significant that within the space of a year, we have recorded a 26.7 per cent increase in revenue generation from N2.56 billion in 2019 to N3.242 billion in 2020. But while this is encouraging, we recognise that there is still a lot of work to be done. This is why this forum is so important.”
Likewise, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD), Olamilekan Adegbite, said the ministry is building a “globally competitive mining sector through policy reforms that are geared towards creating a viable business environment for potential investors”.

According to him, “this is being done by adhering religiously to the mining roadmap”.

He said: “We have indeed created a very business-friendly environment in the mining sector through reforms that grew out of the roadmap for the growth and development of the Nigerian mining industry.”
As part of the milestone achieved since the assumption of office, the minister highlighted some notable achievements in the sector.
He said: “We launched the Made in Nigeria Barite in Port Harcourt, as part of our modest efforts towards the development of industrial minerals. This initiative is expected to spur the promotion and growth of local content, boosting the economy with a corresponding increase in revenue.
The ministry will also commission an open marketplace portal that will connect all stakeholders along the barite value chain to a hub that allows for easy coordination, stocking, effective costing, and seamless sale of barite, as we adhere to the ease of doing business initiative.

“We have commenced one pilot project per geopolitical zone in order to enhance local content along the mineral value chain. This is in line with our mandate to fast-track mineral processing in the country using a cluster approach. Each cluster will be equipped with modern equipment and technologies to support a network of miners, processors, skills development providers, logistics providers, among others.”

He said Nigeria has operationalised an Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) Remote Sensing Monitoring System to regulate and support ASM activities.

“Through the Nigeria Integrated Exploration Programme (NIMEP), we are building a strong geoscience base to enhance our competitiveness as a world-class mineral exploration destination that foreign investors would find attractive,” Mr Adegbite added.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/495923-review-of-nigerias-mining-act-underway-osinbajo.html

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has waded into the controversy surrounding the recent allegation of christianisation levelled against Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

The group, in a statement signed by its director, Prof Ishaq Akintola and made available to DAILY POST on Wednesday said the allegations were fake.

It related what it knows about the Vice President and insisted on truth, fairness and objectivity.

Recall that a certain document had appeared last week alleging christianisation agenda on the part of Osinbajo.

But MURIC said it has refused to believe everything it hears or read in these days of fake news.

The Muslim rights group said it has carried out its investigation and was surprised by certain facts they found about the VP’s office and his dealings with Muslims.
“Blackmail, character assassination, fake news and disinformation are not in the character of Muslims,” MURIC said.

“During our investigation, we stumbled on an article written by a female Muslim presidential aide in the VP’s office. The article, which surfaced recently on social media, affirmed the presence of 18 Muslim officials in Osinbajo’s office.

“The onus is on those who accused the VP of christianisation to prove that some or all of those Muslim names in the VP’s office were fabricated to convince Nigerian Muslims that the VP is either a hater or an oppressor of Muslims,” the group said.
The group said it has, however confirmed by itself that some of the names listed as Muslims working in the VP’s office are not fictional, adding that the most senior staff working with Osinbajo, a senior pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, is a Muslim.

“…Mr. Abdul Rahman Ipaye, a Muslim and a former commissioner in Lagos State who was mentioned in the article as the highest staff in the VP’s office is, indeed, a bona fide staff of Osinbajo.”
We can also confirm that the VP was accompanied by the most senior staff in his office, Mr. Abdul Rahman Ipaye, who was mentioned in the article written in defence of the VP. In fact it was Mr. Ipaye who called a week later to confirm that our petition on the 54 soldiers had been received by the VP. This can at least confirm that the VP has Muslim staff in his office.

The group said that even though it would not back a Christian for 2023 presidency, that would not stop it from saying the truth, adding that it has no connection whatsoever with the VP.
An innocent man should not be crucified simply because he is a Christian. We insist on truth, fairness and objectivity,” MURIC said.


https://dailypost.ng/2021/11/17/islamic-group-defends-osinbajo-on-reported-christianisation-agenda/

Let us join politics and stop complaining

This administration is aims to develop local industries, generate employment, and focus on resource beneficiation to create wealth

VP adds: Mining is a major part of our National Development Plan

On the back of a strong policy and regulatory framework, diligently and methodically developed over the years, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has said the Buhari Administration remains committed to the revitalization and development of the mining sector while ensuring it attracts more local and foreign investments.

Prof. Osinbajo explained this is because the mining sector is a critical part of the Buhari administration’s recent National Development Plan 2021-2025.

The Vice President stated this today in his remarks delivered virtually at the opening of the 5th Annual Nigeria Mining Week Discourse Series, with the theme, “Top Seven Reasons to Invest in Nigeria’s Mining Sector.”

“It is significant that within the space of a year, we have recorded a 26.7% increase in revenue generation from 2019 to 2020. But while this is encouraging, we recognize that there is still a lot of work to be done.

“That is why this forum is so important. We are privileged to have in attendance, so many distinguished experts and resource persons that deeply understand governance vis-à-vis the Mining Sector in Nigeria.”

Highlighting the inflow of notable investments already recorded in the sector, the VP stated that this was early evidence that the Federal Government’s framework is on the right track.

“These investments include Thor Exploration Limited’s Segilola Gold Mine in Osun State, with an initial production capacity of 80,000 ounces of gold annually, representing the first large-scale gold mine in Nigeria”, he said.

The Vice President added "in June last year, I also had the privilege of commissioning the Dukia Gold & Precious Metals Refinery (DGPMR) Project. The Company set out to be a foremost indigenous refiner and trader of gold and other precious metals. Its potential impact on the gold sector is nothing short of revolutionary.

“By providing offtake opportunities through the establishment of Precious Metals Buying Centres, it serves as a spur for more small and medium scale mining investment, while its refinery symbolizes its focus on value addition in the gold and precious metals industry in Nigeria and West Africa.

“A similarly remarkable investment is the integrated Iron Ore Mining and Processing Plant set up by African Natural Resources and Mines Limited (ANRML) in Kaduna, which has an initial production capacity of 4.704 million tons of iron per annum and will scale up to 5.88 million tons per annum.”

Speaking further, the VP noted that through the sector, the Buhari administration also aims to develop local industries, generate employment, and “focus on resource beneficiation to create wealth along the mineral value chain”

According to him “as we deepen our efforts to revitalize the mining sector, we are doing so with lessons learned from half a century of resource extraction. We recognize, for instance, that it is not enough to seek investment merely for the sake of exploitation and extraction.”

Noting how the mining sector can help rewrite a new chapter of economic growth for Nigeria, Prof. Osinbajo added that “concurrently, there is an ongoing review of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007, aimed at bringing legislation into conformity with global best practices, limiting the role of government to that of regulation, and creating the space for the private sector to maintain a more expansive presence in the sector.”

The Vice President then observed that the development of the mining sector has been an important component of the administration’s economic policy since 2015.

“What will be evident to a potential investor is that we have built a robust framework for the mining sector, line by line. In 2016, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, in collaboration with industry stakeholders, produced a clear Roadmap for the growth and development of the Nigerian Mining Sector Industry.

“In pursuit of the goals set forth in the Roadmap, government initiated an ambitious reform regime in the sector, the flagship of which is the National Integrated Mineral Exploration Programme (NIMEP), designed to rapidly generate geological data with the aim of de-risking the sector and attracting high caliber investments."

Even in the recently approved National Development Plan 2021-2025, the VP noted that "the mining sector features prominently. So, this is an issue that has had the benefit of the deep consideration of a robust team aside from all relevant Federal officials, but also State Governors and representatives of local government councils and the private sector.”

The Vice President expressed confidence that the 5th Annual Nigeria Mining Week Discourse Series would be a veritable platform “for strategic reflection, incubation of ideas and production of actionable policy propositions on diverse issues of mining along its value chain.”

The Nigeria Mining Week is organized by the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) in collaboration with the private sector and is supported by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
16th November 2021

To me both federal and state governments should focus more on agriculture rather than any other things because it is the determinant to reduce malnutrition and it also creates jobs for the masses

We need to learn and emulate from the developed countries to speed up the justice and our judiciary need to be reformed

The best thing is for the federal and the state government to collaborate and assist and encourage our young farmers by supplying them 60% of what they need to farm and this will reduce the cost of food

As part of efforts to address malnutrition and related challenges in the country, the Federal Government, in collaboration with states, is considering an “Operation Feed Yourself” initiative to encourage the establishment of urban farms and small home gardens.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who gave the indication last Monday, explained that the programme would come under the National Economic Council and the National Council on Nutrition.

The event was a meeting on nutrition attended by the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Mrs Amina Mohammed, state governors, representatives of development partners, including UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, and convener of the UN Food System Dialogue, Mrs. Olusola Idowu, who is also the Permanent Secretary, Budget and National Planning Ministry.
The vice president said the plan for “Operation Feed Yourself” is one of three major plans arising from the UN-backed Food Systems Dialogues to advance the fight against malnutrition.

Others are providing support to farmers across the country, especially by providing useful weather and soil pattern information that would improve farming yields, and encourage state government to ensure prompt release of budget for nutrition and related activities.

At the meeting, presentations were made by the Deputy Secretary-General, the Dialogue Convener, Oyo State government, which already has an integrated farming model, and the Director-General, Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), on how weather information could be helpful to farmers.

Ammishaddai:
This man's speech always irritates the hell out of me

Why is he irritating you?

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 2021 BIENNIAL ALL NIGERIA JUDGES’ CONFERENCE HELD AT THE ANDREWS OTUTU OBASEKI AUDITORIUM OF THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL INSTITUTE, MOHAMMED BELLO CENTRE, ABUJA, ON 15TH NOVEMBER, 2021.

PROTOCOLS

(My Lords, I bring you the warm felicitations of President Muhammadu Buhari who would have been here in person but for his state engagement today in South Africa, which is why I have the privilege this morning of reading his address.)

The President’s address:

My Lord the Chief Justice of Nigeria, thank you for the kind invitation to attend the opening ceremony of this Biennial All Nigeria Judges’ Conference. I note with deep gratitude that this is an honour that you have consistently extended to me since 2015.

As a platform for collective reflection, this conference is coming at a very crucial time; a time when our country, along with the rest of the world is dealing with the massive socio-economic challenges of the COVID 19 pandemic.

As My Lords may recall, in my 2019 address to this gathering, I stressed the need for implementation of measures that will ensure speedy dispensation of justice in the country through the dual-track of removing administrative bottlenecks in the judicial process and adopting modern time-saving technology.

Lessons learned during this difficult period of the pandemic have provided measures for achieving both goals. We have seen how the Judiciary has risen to the challenge. Practice Directions were issued by several courts for remote hearing of cases, electronic filing of court processes, service of hearing notices via email addresses and mobile phone numbers of counsel, and e-payment of filing fees; with relevant devices installed.

These innovative approaches have, in addition to ensuring compliance with the Covid-19 protocols, ensured that the wheels of justice continued to move unhindered – in some cases even faster than what was obtained during physical hearings. Speed, efficiency, and effectiveness were attained. It aided in the decongestion of cases, did away with the obsolete method of physical filing, and ensured structured use of both judicial and administrative time and resources. Travel time to-and-from the court for litigants, counsel, and witnesses was no longer an issue, effectively minimizing the need for adjournments.

I believe that a universal application of these approaches across the country will greatly enhance access to and speedy dispensation of justice. As My Lords are aware, delay in the dispensation of justice coupled with the increase in the number of cases in our courts have remained subjects of grave concern. As someone said, “our problem is not access to justice it is exiting the justice system.”

And I know that delays are not necessarily the fault of judges, lawyers are often responsible. Should we not then as been suggested by some, be evolving a cost-award system that recognizes the court as a finite and expensive public resource? And as such delays and other dilatory tactics are visited with deterrent costs?

We are part of the global marketplace for investment and legal services. The extent to which we can attract business to our country depends in part upon investor perception of the quality of our justice delivery system. If we are seen as inefficient and ineffective, we would lose out to more efficient systems.

The other point that I think must be made is that of judicial integrity. There is, in my humble view, nothing as important than for judges to be trusted for honesty and integrity. Men and women who have the power over the lives and livelihoods of others are not like the rest of us, we must place them on the highest scale of probity. I would like to urge that your Lordships must not allow a few to undermine the respect and trust both local and international that our Judiciary has built up in over a century of its existence.

I am not unaware of the number of challenges slowing the pace of transformation in our administration of the justice system. More needs to be done to strike a sound balance between a high level of productivity, the quality of judicial decisions, and careful consideration of cases.

My administration, through the Federal Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the National Judicial Council, has been working towards the resolution of these challenges. Some of the measures being taken include:

a. Development of strategic infrastructure that will provide ease in case management, including electronic recording of proceedings to replace the tedious longhand recording currently practiced in the majority of our courts. Advancements in courtroom technology (E-Court systems) have increased the level of efficiency in the justice system in the areas of speed of documentation, accuracy, security, and accessibility of records.

b. Enhanced welfare of judicial officers, especially in the area of conditions of service – salaries, allowances, and retirement benefits for Judicial Officers. Provision of comprehensive medical insurance. On this, I wish to commend the National Judicial Council for the institution of the NJC Health Insurance Programme, which provides comprehensive international insurance for all members of the Federal Judiciary as well as comprehensive local coverage within all the States of the Federation.

These and other measures in the works are aimed at standardizing our courts, safeguarding the integrity of the Judiciary, and attracting the best of legal minds to the bench.

The Judiciary remains the last hope of the common man, it exercises powers that affect lives and liberties. A trusted, well-resourced and well-functioning Judiciary is therefore essential to the entrenchment of rule of law.

To maintain this revered position, and retain greater public confidence by the citizens, the Judiciary must be independent from all forms of interference and must maintain the highest level of responsiveness, professional standards, and integrity. We will continue to partner with you in ensuring that the Judiciary is financially independent; and effectively and sustainably retains a preeminent position in the quality of jurists manning our courts and the jurisprudence that develops from their collective premier reasoning.

My Lords, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot end this address without appreciating the proactive stance being taken by the leadership of the Judiciary, My Lord the CJN, in tackling some of the recent issues that emerged, especially in the area of conflicting court orders by courts of coordinate jurisdiction; and My Lord’s disposition in revolutionizing the process of selection and appointment of Judges.

While wishing you successful deliberations, it is my singular honour and privilege to formally declare the 2021 Biennial All Nigeria Judges’ Conference, open.

I thank you all for your attention.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Released by:
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity
Office of the Vice President
15th November 2021

Oh my God ! This guy made me waste my time in reading the nonsense

Nigeria has the less affected people with COVID-19 and this is as a result of strategies put in place to minimise the effect

In fact I dont know how some people think how could expect someone to christianize or Islamized a country most expecially under democratic government,anyway na lie

As for me and household even my whole compound na Osinbajo I go vote for,I beg make 2023 come quick

I want to be there so that I can listen and see prof Yemi Osinbajo

The future is bright

government agencies will continue to explore measures to boost exports and improve the economy generally

Many good things have happened and still happening

Yes and that's why we need not depend too much on oil ,we should divert it to agriculture as well

The future is bright with many hope,thank God

It's a responsibility of all… .both government and individual to keep our environment clean always ,a proper hygiene and sanitation will reduce the excessive malaria

It's true we have seen Osinbajo's impact in nation building,he's hardworking,vibrant and honest but notwithsanding Tinubu is still the Party leader and they are son to father so let's wait for the party to decide