By joshua 
Celebrating 2 Years of Purposeful Achievements in the Kogi State Solid Minerals Sector.
Your Excellency, the Chief Servant of our Dear State, Alhaji Usman Ahmed Ododo.
I heartily congratulate His Excellency, the
Chief Servant of Kogi State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, on the momentous occasion of his second
Anniversary in office as Executive Governor of Kogi State.
Your Excellency, the past two years of your administration have been marked by purposeful leadership, visionary
governance, and an unwavering commitment to the unity, peace, and sustainable development of
our dear state.
Your people-oriented policies, anchored on continuity and consolidation, have deepened public
confidence in governance and accelerated socio-economic progress across critical sectors
In just two years of your purposeful and result oriented leadership, you have in no small measure placed Kogi State on the world map as a Solid Minerals destination of Nigeria, Africa and the World.
Your Excellency, the determination of your administration to make the Solid Minerals Development Sector as top priority in your administration agenda is influenced by your desire to open the State to multi streams of revenue for the State.
We are proud that when in full operation, earnings from the Solid Minerals Sector would help boost all round development a feat our State has started witnessing.
Your Excellency, your administration’s
vision, in making the State not to be dependent on oil revenue, has no doubt driven all development.
We in the Ministry are proud to State that your timely and positive repositioning of the State Solid Minerals Sector,
could not have come at a better time for Nigeria, with Kogi State particularly.
Over the years, our State, richly blessed with solid Minerals such as iron ore, limestone, coal, gold, dolomite, tantalite, Beeyl, ilminite and more. Yet, for decades, the story has been one of untapped potentials, informal mining, and minimal local benefit.
I make bold to State that, Your Excellency has changed the narratives through your deliberate programs and policies that has open up our state to investors and investments in our State’s history.
Your Excellency, in just two years, your relentless efforts to shore up the revenue base of the state has led to the acquisition of 30 minerals titles spread across the 21 LGA of the state.
Your Excellency, under your leadership, Kogi State has also acquired sophisticated mining equipments to aid in the sector’s development, a feat that has placed our State as a major driver in President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s renewed agenda of self reliant, away from oil revenue sources that is shrinking by the day, owing to fluctuating world prices and instability.
It is important to note that Machines like High grade Excavators, pale loaders, dump trucks is also helping us as a State to play along side known mining companies across the country”.
“Thank you Your Excellency for the significant breakthrough paving the way from “pit to progress. The readiness of your administration in promoting the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has made Kogi State the future of Nigeria and Nigeria as the future of Africa and Africa as the future of the world”.
Your Excellency, the Solid Minerals Sector under your leadership has amongst other accomplishments achieved:
• Massive job creation
• Industrialization
• Revenue diversification beyond oil
• Community development
We in the Kogi State Ministry of Solid Minerals and Natural Resources cannot but commend you for taken the bull by the horns, “working assiduously to make the State a Solid Minerals hub’.
Thank you Your Excellency for making Kogi State to become the Solid Minerals destination of Nigeria.
I am particularly inspired by your
constant support for the Ministry.
As you mark this significant milestone, I join millions of Kogites in
celebrating your achievements and reaffirming our steadfast support for
your transformative agenda. It is our prayer that God Almighty grants
you renewed strength, wisdom and good health as you continue to steer
the affairs of Kogi State to greater heights.
Congratulations, Your Excellency, on this well-deserved celebration of
impactful leadership.
Signed:
Engr. Bashiru Abubakar Gegu,
Hon. Commissioner For Solid Minerals and Natural Resources.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE MINISTRY OF SOLID MINERALS AND NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS OF HIS EXCELLENCY, THE CHIEF SERVANT OF KOGI STATE, ALHAJI AHMED USMAN ODODO FCA.
•Collection and Collating of Geologic Data on the abundant Mineral Resources in the State, the status of Mining Companies operating (active and inactive mineral sites)and Artisans in the State.
•Creating a conducive environment for investors and artisans in the sector as well as encouraging indigenous (local) investors to go into mining to maximize development and increase employment generation.
•Curbing the activities of illegal miners and indiscriminate mining across the 21 LGA’s of the State by reorganizing and reintegrating the illegal miners to form Artisanal groups with proper identification and location for proper monitoring as contained by Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and 2011 respectively.
•Formation of surveillance team with the State Security apparatus to curb illegal mining activities and ensure safe and secure environment which in turn has reduced the incidence of kidnapping within the State.
•Constituting the board of directors for the Kogi State minerals processing company (The SPV in the ministry) and provision of office accommodation for better service delivery
•Procurement of the following listed operational equipments for Kogi State Solid Mineral Processing Company.
Procured Equipments:
1.5 Howo Trucks
2.Excavator
3.Pale loader
4.Operational vehicle
This is a testament to the zeal of His Excellency to harness the abundant gifts of nature to boost the wealth of the sate and provide the dividends of democracy to the good and great people of Kogi State
Revitalizing the Kogi State solid minerals processing company Ltd that are already exploring coal, Gold and Lithium for boosting of revenue,
Formation of policy to limit issuance of consent letters for unserious investors
•Renewal of the eleven mineral titles acquired through Kogi State Solid Minerals Processing Company.
•Repositioning Miners by influencing the activation, and uniting them into association for peaceful and fruitful operation.
•Partnership with both foreign and local investors for exploitation of the abundant Solid Minerals in the State.
•The State Government through the Ministry recently awarded contract to the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency to carry out detailed Feasibility Studies for the Exploration and Resources Estimation of Gold, lithium and Coal deposits in Kogi State, which is ongoing.
•Acquisition of Land for the Construction of an ultramodern Mineral House with a Laboratory, Lapidary section and Mineral Museum.
•Working in collaboration with relevant Federal Government Ministries and Agencies such as Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Federal Ministry of Environment, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency, Nigeria Geological Survey Agency, National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (NESREA), National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) etc.
•Ensure that community interest in Mineral Development Areas are equitably and economically protected in compliance with the provision of the mineral act thereby,
generating more employment opportunities.
•Providing technical support and promoting viable small scale mining activities.
•Assisting small, medium and large scale miners to operate in a secured environment and more organized manner.
•Sensitization program for all the traditional rulers, mining companies and all stakeholders in the solid mineral sector across the three senatorial district of the state in 2024.
Youth empowerment. Set to train 25,000 Youth on artisanal mining.