Obaseki Announces Edo Produced 3.7m tons of Solid Minerals in 2021

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has announced that the state produced a total of 3.7 million tons of solid mineral products in 2021 and solicited for increased investment from private actor to increase output.

Obaseki made the disclosure in Benin City, at a two-day Solid Minerals Stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Ministry of Mining, Oil and Gas in conjunction with the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, (RMAFC).

The governor, who was represented by the state Commissioner for Finance, Joseph Eboigbe, disclosed that Edo ranked sixth in solid minerals output before his administration, but with improvement in the business environment, the state has scaled up to the fourth position.

Obaseki said: “The mineral production statistics 2021 released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that Edo State achieved a combined output of 3.7 million tons of mineral products and we believe we can do better.

“As a state government, we are well aware of the provisions of the constitution, the Nigerian Mineral and Mining Act of 2007 and other relevant regulations governing the mining sector with respect to roles of the federal and state governments. It should be emphasized that there are opportunities that fall within the concurrent jurisdiction.

“This provides the opportunity for the state to act and further enhance the sector as mining has the capacity to provide jobs in a manner comparable to agriculture. Our people can become gainfully employed through activities in the mining sector, hence, we are not deterred. There are ways that we can extract value at the level of the state.”

The governor also reassured of his administration’s commitment to providing a conducive business environment for investors. In his words:“Edo State will continue to provide a conducive business environment for legitimate miners to thrive because if the sector grows, Edo State will grow.

“There’s no gain saying the fact that a well organised mineral sector is key to the diversification policies of the government. Mining may, in the near future, overtake crude oil exploration in national discourse.”