Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), at the weekend, said the Ajaokuta Steel Company must work under the incoming administration to boost soil mineral sector for economy diversification.
It noted that the country is mature for a national water resources law that promotes existing regulations guiding the sector. President of NMGS, Prof. Akinade Olatunji, gave the charge at an interactive session in Abuja, themed: “The Agenda Setting Media Chat for Incoming Governments at All Levels.” He observed the massive improvement in geosciences data to attract foreign investments into the mining sector.
The NMGS boss explained that geologists are the ones that find most suitable places to have tube wells drilled to serve water needs of the populace.
Olatunji said: “NMGS will continue to engage government at all levels. We are not a professional group that just identifies problems, we also provide solutions and willing in partnering with the incoming government at the federal level.
“The Ajaokuta project is one of such. The current government has freed the project of all foreign legal encumbrances, and that is salutary. It is the hope of NMGS that the national legal issues would also be resolved speedily.
“The incoming government should fast-track implementation of recommendations that have been made by several committees regarding revival of the steel plant.” He promised the body’s cooperation to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in achieving the onerous task.
Describing NMGS as one of the oldest professional societies in Nigeria founded on January 15, 1961 to execute critical roles in the mineral, water, environment, construction, as well and oil and gas sectors, Olatunji submitted: “There is need to bring some order into the water sector. The need for a simple water bill cannot be over-emphasised. The country deserves a Water Bill that will devolve power to constituent entities, not the one that would concentrate power in a federal bureaucracy to bog down development.
“The Water Bill should be one that will be free of all perceived, rightly or wrongly, hidden motives to enable all stakeholders have a buy-in for its adoption and smooth implementation. This is overdue, as impact of global environmental change on our water resources is becoming more and more evident.”
He added: “Nigeria needs to have a well-defined water policy to boost agriculture, food security, industrialization and access to clean water for domestic use and sanitation. Water is critical to the well-being of Nigerians, and we need to adopt wholesome measures that will guarantee access to potable, safe and clean water across the land.”
