As part of its roadmap for the support, growth and development of the Nigerian mining industry, De Mbarukas Limited, an indigenous environmental consultancy firm, is to partner the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to deepen sustainable development opportunities in the country’s sea-shorelines.
Joseph Akpan, the managing director of De Mbarukas Limited said the firm was poised to bring its over 20 years of experience to bear in the mining industry, with the objective of ensuring that Nigeria harnesses the opportunities that abound in mineral resources in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.
He regretted that in recent times, the domestic mining industry was considered to be underdeveloped leading to Nigeria having to import minerals that she can produce locally, such as salt and iron ore.
Akpan said that since mining activities affect the environment, the soil friendly structure and the general makeup of the ecological system, the environmentally friendly technology and the utilization of flared gas and sunlight along the sea-shorelines of Nigeria would be economically sustainable.
Akpan spoke when he met the minister of Mines and Steel Development, and urged the ministry to take advantage of the over 30 km stretch sea-shoreline of the South-south, particularly Akwa Ibom State, to aid the production of common salt and other mineral resources.
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“Apart from the sodium chloride, which is the table salt, there are other dissolved chemicals in the ocean water that could be harvested in commercial quantity,” he said; explaining that the cost of salt production could be cheaper as long the ministry would be ready and willing to put necessary infrastructure in place to enable local miners thrive in regions where energy through gas flaring is abundant alongside the natural sunlight.
He also called on the ministry to grant permits to investors for the harvesting of solid minerals for the economic advantage of Nigeria.
The minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite thanked De Mbarukas for proposing the good business idea of mining salt locally to boost the economy. He assured the firm (De Mbarukas) that the ministry will do its best to ensure the idea was developed into a bankable business model that will yield sustainable results.
Uchechukwu Ogah, the minister of state, Mines and Steel Development expressed the ministry’s delight that an indigenous firm had deemed it fit to venture into the sector with so much passion. He said the ministry will partner with De Mbarukas in the proposed areas to attract investment and investors to the sector; stressing that such will create employment and generate revenue for the entire nation.
