The federal government has initiated training for local miners in the country to enable them improve production and access its N5 billion loan facility, an official said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the government contributed N2.5 billion and the Bank of Industry (BoI) contributed another N2.5 billion, totaling N5 billion loan for local miners.
The director of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) in the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Patrick Ojeka, disclosed this to NAN on the sideline of a four-day training for local miners in Port Harcourt on Friday.
Ojeka, represented by Mr. Etido Umoakpan, an official in the ministry, said the programme was organised to provide extension services to mining cooperatives, small scale miners and quarry associations in the South-south region.
“The event is one of the federal government’s obligations as enshrined in the 2007 Nigerian Mineral and Mining Act to provide extension services for artisanal and small-scale miners.
“So, we are here to introduce to the miners, the various aspects of mining such as: safety, health procedures and how they can carry their mining activities in a safe and sustainable way.
“We are also teaching them more techniques to improve their production; how to market their businesses and how to access the N5 billion loans from the federal government and the BoI,” he said.
One of the participants, Mr. Odey Wilfred, thanked the federal government for organising the workshop and pleaded with the government to address the challenges of multiple taxations.
Odey, a sand and gravel miner, also called on the government to soften the stringent conditions placed on the N5 billion loan facilities approved for miners.
“Providing small scale miners’ access to finance our operation will enable us to expand our business as well as employ more hands, thereby reducing current unemployment.
“Currently, we have over 700 employees working with us, including loaders, drivers and marketers and those in other professional fields. So, we urgently want the government to come to our aid and provide the needed support,” he said.
