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Having agreed with Federal Government effort to diversify the nation’s economy from oil-based to non-oil structured with priority on solid minerals and agriculture Lafarge Africa has trained and equipped 42 geologists, mining engineers and geo-scientists ahead of Nigeria projects on mining and solid minerals exploitation for economic growth and development.
BusinessDay reports that the skills and empowerment training was oraginsed as a follow-up action to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi’s working visits to Lafarge Africa and Dangote Cement plants in Ogun state earlier this year where he instructed the two cement giants to assist Nigeria in her effort to diversify economy towards solid minerals through effective training of workforce in public and private sector.
Consequently, Lafarge Africa, the leading cement and building solutions provider, selected its first set of trainees from the Geological Services Department of Ogun State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, who were trained on exploration, draining, planting, soil test, solid minerals blasting, exploitation of minerals, among other processing, and production of limestone into cement.
Speaking at the presentation of certificates to the trainees held at Government Secretariat in Abeokuta on Wednesday, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Lafarge Africa Director, Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development, declared that the effort was undertaken as a follow-up to Cement Professional Technicians Programme, a three-year development programme for young science-oriented school leavers selected from its host communities across the federation.
She said, “We are committed to the promotion of local content and the development of local capacity. What’s more, our commitment to capacity development aligns with the People, Communities and Climate pillars of our 2030 Sustainability Plan and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“Training geologists is one of several ways stakeholders within Lafarge’s areas of operations benefit from its presence. And the result of its long-standing relationship and partnership with Ogun State Government and Nigeria as a whole, we are extremely proud of it and it demonstrates Lafarge commitment to sustainable development from education and CSR standpoint.”
But, Bimbo Ashiru, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, disclosed that 60% of revenue that goes to the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development comes from Ogun State being the state that has largest deposits of natural and mineral resources, saying Ogun State should be accorded a special status in terms of its revenue contribution from solid minerals.
Ashiru, who noted that other companies are also planning to accommodate the state in their programmes on mining and exploitation of mineral resources in order to achieve better economic base, added that Lafarge Africa started its training for geologists in the state because Ogun state workforce, especially in mining sub-sector of the nation’s economy play key roles on the realization of Federal Government’s target on mining revenue.
“Presently in the country, most of the income that goes to the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, 60% are from Ogun State and the reason is that Ogun State is a State that is endowed with a lot of mineral and natural resources. What we are saying in essence is, look at limestone for instance, it is commercial quantity.
“Lafarge has been in the country for the past 56 years and they are still mining; Dangote is here, they have been here for almost 10 years now, Purechem and many other cement companies that are coming here. The ceramic companies are also here, 90% of their raw materials are here. Cement companies source 95% of their raw materials here. You can see that we need special status and special derivation from Federal Government for that”, he concluded.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
