The Federal Government has reiterated its support for the small scale and artisanal miners in the country with the flag-off of the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi State last weekend.
The flag-off, which was an initiative of the Federal Government with the support of Government of Kebbi State as well as Central Bank of Nigeria, is part of an on-going process to formalize and integrate Artisanal and Small Scale gold mining activities into the Nation’s legal, economic and institutional framework.
A statement from the Ministry says PAGMI is an artisanal support program for miners of gold in the Nigeria with Kebbi and Osun States serving as pilot States. The Flag off of PAGMI Biometric Exercise in Kebbi State was for the Registration and Enrollment of first batch of Artisanal Miners that would benefit in the Program, PAGMI.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Governor of Kebbi State, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu who is also PAGMI Vice Chairman, said President Muhammadu Buhari is intensifying efforts to build the capacity of the artisanal miners to enable them contribute positively, legally and safely to the economy of the country.
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD), Arc Olamilekan Adegbite, who was represented at the event by the Director, Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM), Mr. Patrick Ojeka, stressed that the initiative, apart from empowering the artisanal and small scale miners, would encourage and promote Nigerian processing and value addition industries.
He said: “Through this initiative, we hope to solve the issue of disaggregation through establishment of cooperatives, improve productivity through capacity building and the use of advanced equipment to improve standard and quality of output.”
Adegbite said the Federal Government would establish buying centres with the CBN as off taker and also integrate middlemen into the system, which he believed would lead to higher profitability for artisanal miners.
The Minister of State, MMSD, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Kelechi Ekugo said Governor Bagudu has been instrumental to the success of PAGMI Biometric Exercise in Kebbi State.
In her remarks, the Executive Secretary of Solid Minerals Development Fund and the Secretary of PAGMI, Hajia Fatimah Umaru Shinkafi said that 80% of mining in Nigeria is done by Artisanal Miners, and noted that their activities could no longer be ignored as it poses a security risk to do that.
She assured stakeholders at the event that PAGMI would bring about benefits for financial inclusion, value addition as well as job creation. “We also have social investment elements in it, and part of proceeds from the program will be ploughed back into the community for community development projects such as provisions of health care services, portable water and schools among others”, she further explained.
