The Federal Government has given assurances to investors in the solid minerals industry of online application for mining licences as the sector receives attention for economic diversification.
Director General, Mining Cadastral Office, Engr. Mohammed Amate, made this disclosure in in Abuja, where he stated that the online application platform was included in the agency’s 2016 budget.
According to Amate, investors will no longer come to the office to submit their applications for mining licences rather apply and submit their forms, rather, application and submission will be made online.
He said: “You discover an open area, and if the area is covered we will tell you, we have areas the then Nigeria Mining Corporation had done some work, and every process to get a mining licence is open and transparent.
“Once you meet the requirements you can be rest assured to get your licence. Investors should have 100 percent confidence on the MCO. After you have submitted your application you don’t need to go to anybody, your application speaks for you.
“Plans are under way to open zonal offices, and in any case what we intend to do because in the next year or two are our plans that nobody will come to our office and apply for licences.
“You can sit down in the comfort of your office and submit an application online, from any part of the world and within 30 or 40 days you will be notified whether you are granted or not, and we are in discussions with our consultants, and is in our 2016 budget.”
“A lot of people don’t want to visit us and submit their application, but send people who can tell them all sorts of things and I can assure you; seeing is believing.
“We encourage them to come to us anytime and our desk officers will promptly respond to them and they will believe more in the transparent manner we carry out our duties because there is no ‘shifting of goal post’ in MCO.
“If you are not ready allow others that are ready to have it, and anytime you are ready you can come, and the opportunities are there, and we will not allow you to sit on the licences you are not using”, he concludes.
