Lack of Access To Funds Cripples Mining

• The Chairman of the association, Malam Lawal Maiyari, made the assertion in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.
• He described mining sector as an untapped goldmine in the state, urging the miners to come up with bankable visibility study on the amount of mineral deposit to attract loans.
• Maiyari said that this had remained a major challenge for miners because mining activities were capital intensive.
• According to him, to come up with a viable visibility study, one will require heavy equipment and other mining gadget without which he cannot achieve much.

“But with the government’s support, a comprehensive and bankable data will be generated to pave way for sustainable and commercially viable mining activities in the state,’’ he said.

• The chairman of the association said that solid minerals were being underutilised in the country because of the overdependence on oil the sector.
• He said the north was richly endowed with solid minerals deposit that could sustain every state instead of relying on the allocation from the federation account.