Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Oladele Alake, has disclosed that the federal government is focusing on Ekiti among other states highly endowed with both natural and mineral resources, with highly competitive cost in exploration and extraction of solid minerals to improve the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The Minister stated this Monday in Abuja while playing host to the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji, in his office at the ministry’s headquarters who was on a courtesy visit, a statement signed by the head of Media and Public Relations in the ministry, Alaba Balogun, said.
He said, ”Ekiti is one of the states we are focusing on in terms of ensuring that the solid Minerals sector makes its impact and contribute significantly to the gross domestic product of the country.”
Speaking earlier, Governor Oyebanji said in the quest to enhance socio-economic development, his state would collaborate with the ministry towards creating wealth and enhancing employment opportunities for its citizens, given the huge deposits of solid mineral resources in the area.
According to the governor, he embarked on the visit to discuss how Ekiti could partner with the ministry and ensure that the state keys into the federal government’s vision for the sector so as to derive maximum socio-economic benefits for his people.
He said, ”The reason is to discuss how Ekiti state can partner with this ministry and ensure we key into its vision. Any discerning state that wants to develop his state must key into the vision, because in it I see a lot of opportunities as efforts are being made to democratise the space. And it will create wealth, create jobs , and boost security.”
While acknowledging the sterling contributions of the Minister, as an indigene, to the development of Ekiti State; the governor said, ” I was just sharing my experience in the state with him. So there is no state that would not want to key into the vision because this is the next oil. Any state that is smart will just be here”.
