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We’re targeting solid minerals to boost Oyo’s IGR – Gov’s aide

 

The government of Oyo State is setting its eyes on the solid mineral
sector as a major boost for its Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR),
the Special Adviser on Solid Minerals Development, Abiodun Oni has
said.
Oni, in a presentation on behalf of the state government at the just
concluded Fourth Edition of the Nigeria Mining Week, said that the
state government would heavily rely of solid Minerals to finance the
social interventions and welfare programmes of Governor Seyi Makinde.
In his presentation themed: “Oyo State to the World: Bridging the gap
between potentials and investments,” held at the NAF Conference
Centre, Abuja, the governor’s aide stated that Oyo State had billions
in its grounds which were yet to be explored and exploited.
He maintained that Governor Makinde’s administration was striving hard
to put solid mineral development on the map because the government
needed funds to drive the many social intervention projects being
embarked upon.
According to Oni, the Oyo State government was targeting solid mineral
development because it remained one of the quick wins for it to boost
its internal revenue, adding that Governor Makinde was set to put
money into the sector towards data gathering, digitization,
availability and accessibility, which he said would make it easy to
attract investors to the state.
He said: “We are striving a whole lot to make sure that mineral
development is put on the map and where we can generate revenues. You
would have noticed that the governor of Oyo State is into lots of
social intervention projects and programmes, so we need money. So, we
are thinking IGR, IGR, IGR. There is nowhere else to go to.
“One of the quick wins for us is mineral development and what I will
like to focus on, which I have been advising our government on is to
focus on the ASMs. It is a quick win and a low-hanging fruit if we are
able to develop and partner with this arm of the sector. In Oyo State,
the ASMs actually have actually about 80 per cent of the mining
community.
“A major part of our budget is all about data, we all know and we have
all spoken about data. We are committed to that in Oyo State,” he
said.
Speaking with journalists after the presentation, Oni added that the
sooner Oyo State began to explore the resources in its grounds, the
better for the state, saying: “I think it is essential for people to
know that Oyo State has billions in the grounds that are not explored
and exploited. I met quite a number of guys who are from Oyo State but
they are mining in Jos, Zamfara and other places and they are
excited.”

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