The Kwara State government is to establish a standard mineral market in the states as part of efforts to diversify the nation's economy and harness the potential in the solid mineral sector .

This was made known by the Governor Abdulraman Andulrazaq at the just concluded National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development Meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The Governor of Kwara state Abdulraman Abdulrazaq said the theme of the meeting ”minerals and metals, a potential for economic growth and diversification” aligned with economic agenda of the state as reliance on oil has proven unrealistic.

The Governor said that his administration had recently registered five Special Purpose Vehicles to acquire viable mining sites and maximize the solid mineral potentials of the State,.

“We plan to establish a standard mineral market in the State, where all minerals mined from our State will first be registered here before they are transported to other places”the governor explained.

He appealed to the federal government to support the state to actualize its dream of becoming a major solid mineral producing state in the country.

In his word, “Kwara is blessed with abundant viable mineral resources as each of the 16 local government areas in the state has at least six different minerals in commercial quantities. I therefore invite our esteemed visitors and investors to tap into the prosperity in our solid minerals under a very peaceful and welcoming environment”. Aligning with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Minister of State, Ministry of Steel Development Mr Uba Maigari explained that steel remained the backbone of modern infrastructure, upon which other sectors thrive.

Mr Maigari called on stakeholders in the mineral and steel sector to revitalize the steel industry and leverage on technology to develop skills and foster a stable and transparent regulatory environment that would attract investment and drive sustainable growth.

“We must Invest in critical infrastructure: From modernizing mining operations to building efficient steel mills, Embrace technology: Let us leverage automation, artificial intelligence, and sustainable practices to create a modern, dynamic steel industry that meets the demands of the future, Promote skills development: We need to equip our workforce with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in a technologically advanced steel sector” he said.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministries of Solid Minerals Development and Steel Development, Dr Mary Ogbe lauded Kwara State Government for hosting the council meeting, and promised that the ministry would ensure implementation of the adopted recommendations.

The technical committee would monitor and evaluate the recommendation that is adopted for implemented.

Participants at the Council's Meeting were optimistic that the resolutions of the technical committees if implemented would make economy thrive.