CAPE TOWN - The recently-appointed Nigerian Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has committed for the ministry to become more involved in the annual Nigeria Mining Week, taking place next week.
“We want to put some life in Nigeria Mining Week and we want to deepen what happens,” Adegbite said during a pre-event press briefing at the ministry in Abuja on Tuesday morning.
The fourth annual Nigeria Mining Week conference and exhibition is taking place from October 14-16 in the Nigerian capital Lagos at the NAF Centre.
Minister Adegbite said that during discussions this week with the organisers of the event, the miners association of Nigeria, the MAN President Alhaji Kabir Mohammed Kankara had asked the ministry to become more involved with Nigeria Mining Week.
The ministers said they had agreed that the event should always be private sector-led but that as the host ministry, it should become more involved.
“Nigeria is not known as a mining destination yet. We want to attract the right people and the right names to be at the Mining Week. The planning for the next Mining Week will start at the end of this one,” said Adegbite.
According to the organisers, the event is expected to attract more than 1,200 mining experts, more than 180 mines and exploration companies, more than 40 sponsors and more than 24 countries represented.
Leading industry suppliers Barron and HMD Mining are also gold sponsors at the event while Kaduna State, Kian Smith Trade Co, Meridian Drilling & Exploration Services, Punuka and PW Nigeria Ltd have partnered as silver sponsors.