Director General, Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom says the agency will sustain the strides recorded in mineral title administration, adding that transparent operations in the country’s mining cadastre has earned the confidence of investors.
He gave the assurance while speaking to journalists on the sidelines of 8th edition of Nigeria Mining Week, recently, in Abuja.
Discussing the unbridled commitment of government to ensuring the formulation of correct policies in cadastre administration, Nkom, a Fellow of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, said: ‘When Nigeria gets it right in mining title administration it will boost the economy and will also entice more investments locally and globally.’
According to the Director-General who was President of the NMGS, the MCO will continue to ensure transparency in mineral title administration, saying that it is a prerequisite to wining the confidence of investors to the sector.
He said the Agency has collaborated with the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative to ensure adherence to best practices, saying: “As it relates to mining licenses, MCO works very closely with NEITI in line with transparency rules.”
This, he said is important in order to sustain the confidence of mining investors in the sector. Engr. Nkom stated: “If mineral title administration is not transparent, investors would not be encouraged to come and invest in the sector.’
Discussing a key-policy put in place by government to ensure that mineral licenses are put to use, the Director-General said government has established laws on license withdrawals saying that any license that is not put to use will be withdrawn by the government.
“There are two ways an investor can lose a mining license, first of all, non-payment of service fees. The second one is dormant activities in addition to other obligations which are clearly spelt out. That is why one of our key principle in the Mining Cadastre Office is ‘use it on you lose it,’ because at the end of the day, if you don’t use the license, you lose it”
While saying that the Mining Cadastre Office has migrated from analog to digital (Electronic Mining Cadastre) operations, he noted that the development enhance transparent operations vital to win the confidence of investors in the sector.
Discussing how EMC eases business, he said: “What I see in the mining industry is what you see even in your phones or even back in Canada or anywhere in the world,” adding that once an internet-ready system in place, prospective investors can access the MCO through the portal and make applications for mineral titles.
