The Gold Miners Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (GMPMA) said that it was committed to partnering with other developed countries to achieve international standards in the mining sector.
President of the association, Mr Auwal Bununu, said on Sunday in Abuja that the partnership would support the sector to acquire more knowledge on mining activities and provide equipment for effective implementation of policies and projects.
According to him, the challenge in the Nigeria mining sector is provision of mining equipment and machinery as well as international standard technical services.
“What we have started doing now is that we are looking at the mining developed countries such as Australia, Canada, China, South Africa, Turkey and Europe, to work with them.
“We are collaborating with those countries so that we can strongly build and strengthen mining companies in Nigeria.
“Working with international companies will help us get their capacity, gain more knowledge and higher standards to support our mining industries,” he said.
He said Nigeria took samples to laboratories at those developed countries to test some of the materials before use in the country.
He said that if such services could be provided to Nigeria about 80 per cent mining problems would be solved appropriately.
“When we have the services and have about 90 per cent of operators who are experts, investigations of materials and other activities will be easy and accessible.
“We can also provide the services locally in accordance with international standards.
“So, we are making efforts for our local mining companies to have access to such equipment that will get to the standards.”
Bununu said that the association had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Beijing Institute of Mineralogy and Mineral Resources.
He said that the association had also engaged with other partners from Europe to build up the synergies.
He said the effort was to ensure that Nigeria would get to the international standard in the mining activities.
Bununu, also Technical Adviser to Nigeria Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), a mining group, said the association was an umbrella body of the GMPMA.
He said that the NACCIMA had engaged with other relevant stakeholders, such as Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and all the regulatory agencies under the ministry.
He said the engagement with the ministry and other stakeholders was to ensure that Nigerians comply with environmental laws, for safety of the environment and health of people.
The association boss said that the effort was to ensure that its mandates and objectives were achieved effectively.
He said that the collaboration would as well enable them to monitor unlicensed miners across the country.
“The association is committed to address the issue of unlicensed miners and other unauthorised activities in the sector.”
