Nasarawa pledges support for solid minerals development

As a policy continuity strategy, Governor Abdullahi Sule has said his focus would include mainly, the development of solid minerals potential of Nasarawa State.

The Governor disclosed that the new administration would continue with the existing collaboration between the government and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to develop the Solid Minerals Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (SOMMEDI), located in Nasarawa State, just like his predecessor, Alhaji Umaru Tanko Al-Makura.

Receiving the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI, Professor Mohammed Sani Haruna who paid a courtesy visit to the Governor, Sule said the solid minerals potential of Nasarawa State was enormous and therefore the attention of the new administration would not shift from its development and investment.

Governor Sule assured that the State Government would immediately complete the landscaping project and to provide road networks for the entire 20-hectare permanent site of the Institute in order to fast track development of the various mining process facilities as contained in SOMMEDI plan on time.

According to the governor, the new administration also would collaborate with NASENI to deploy the Agency’s Solar Power capacity for the supply of electricity to the State’s General Hospitals and Street lights in rural areas, towns and cities within Nasarawa State.
SOMMEDI, a research and development institute, under NASENI, was established amongst other things to provide capacity building and development in the area of solid minerals development and processing, solid minerals machinery and equipment design, development and production.

The EVC of NASENI commended the Governor for continuing existing projects but lamented the disappearance of crafts and technical schools from the Nigeria educational system with its negative effects on Industrial and manufacturing sector.

He noted that qualified artisans who provide plumbing, carpentry, building, tilling and others are now coming from neighbouring countries.He commended Governor Sule on his proposed programme to revitalize technical and vocational education in Nasarawa State, adding that the agency was prepared to do its best to support the governor in his bid to improve on the socio-economic status of the people in the State.