COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF 15TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)/CONFERENCE OF THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS (NSME) JOS 2015

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF 15^TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)/CONFERENCE OF THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY OF MINING ENGINEERS (NSME) HELD AT THE AUDITORIUM OF THE NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND GEOSCIENCES (NIMG), AND THE CONFERENCE HALL OF THE HILL STATION HOTEL, JOS, PLATEAU STATE, ON NOVEMBER 3-6, 2015

The 15^TH AGM/Conference of the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers (NSME) was held at the Auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences (NIMG), and the Conference Hall of the Hill Station Hotel, Jos, Plateau State on November 3-6, 2015 with the theme “Resurgence of the Mining Industry: A Key to Revival of Nigerian Economy”.

After exhaustive deliberations, the Conference came out with the following resolutions:

1. Government agencies charged with responsibility of mineral exploration should be adequately funded and equipped to undertake effective minerals exploration and make appropriate data/information on mineral deposits readily available to prospective investors.
2. Federal and States Governments should intensify their efforts in establishing necessary infrastructure and transportation facilities to optimize hard-pressed capital spending on investment. Sufficient economic incentives should be provided to spur local and international project developers and financiers, to invest in development of mining-related infrastructure in Nigeria.
3. The Government should intensify its efforts in encouraging private sector participation by providing adequate and low-cost electric energy of which coal-fired generation is sine que non to making mining in Nigeria globally competitive.
4. Capacity building in the mineral industry should be intensified for effective mine operations, management and policy implementation. In this regard, the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences, Jos and other mining institutions should be strengthened and properly funded to provide the critical manpower needed in the minerals sector of the national economy.
5. Government should adequately allocate fund to the Solid Minerals Development Fund to assist small-scale mining companies to secure loanable funds at single digit interest rates and/or to secure equipment financing or leasing.
6. Government should ensure that mining operators conduct their operations in a manner that will control, minimize and mitigate harm to the environment by applying proven technology and appropriate operating practice.
7. The mining industry is capital intensive, so value-driven research and development activity and collaboration among government, academia and industry should be encouraged in the minerals sector for long range success.
8. Mining institutions such as Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), etc. should be strengthened and adequately funded to better perform their functions.
9. Government should continue to give special attention to artisanal miners by encouraging them to form cooperatives, monitoring their activities especially security-wise and providing extension services.

 

For and behalf of Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers

 

Engr. B. O. Nwude, _{FNSME, FNSE, FNMGS, FAutoEI}

NSME President

5^th November, 2015