Been a close aide to the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals, Mayowa Ojo said her boss Dr Dele Alake is an award-winning Journalist, technocrat, activist, Politician and the current Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals Development. He doubles as the Chairman of the African minerals strategy group (AMSG). A group of Ministers of mining in Africa.
She said “In the last three (3) decades, Oga undoubtedly has traversed in his political and career paths which only a few of his contemporaries would dare, with lots of accomplishments trailing him. Long before our paths crossed, the name ‘Dele Alake’ has been a household name for me, and indeed a brand on its own.
Dele Alake became even more resonated during my media sojourn in Lagos in the early 2000s. But in all honesty, I never met him physically until when he became a Minister and assumed duties at the Wuse 2 Headquarters of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in Abuja.
“When I was redeployed to his office where I had previously served in the last dispensation as an aide, vide a circular No. MMSD/S/38/S.19/II/193 dated 23rd August, 2023, he never objected.”
“Under Alake’s watch, the Nigerian Solid Minerals Sector is currently undergoing a deep reform with his 7-point agenda towards full economic diversification and repositioning of the critical sector as one of the bastions of Nigeria’s future prosperity”.
She stated that The 7 – Point Agenda as unveiled by him at a media conference upon assumption at the ministry are as follows:
- Establish the Nigerian Solid Minerals Corporation Limited which shall be private sector – driven
- Enter Joint Venture with Mining Multinationals
- Invest in big data gathering on specific priority minerals and their deposits
- Integrate illegal miners to join artisanal cooperative
- Mines surveillance Task Force and Mines Police
- Comprehensive review of all Mining licenses
- Creation of six (6) Minerals Processing Centres to focus on value addition.
She continued thus that; “Since his assumption as the Honourable Minister on August 23, 2023, the administrative or leadership style of Dr. Henry Oladele Alake in the Ministry of Solid Mineral development is largely seen as unconventional in an environment ought to be rigidly structured in the civil service ethos”.
‘Although, this reality might not be unconnected with his radical journalism background as widely held by some close observers. Barely one year in the office, ‘Oga Alake,’ has been able to traverse the entire ministerial terrains in an exceptional mode of relationship among the top echelon of management staff and chief executives of agencies under the supervision of the Ministry with visible impacts on ministerial performance across board”.
His structured engagements with the management and intermediate staffers during various official functions among others readily come to mind and are all testimonials to the disposition above.
With an unrestricted access that looks like an essential component of standard operating procedure in place, work and social relationship across staff strata in the ministry have been transformed. More specifically, the engaging leadership style of Dr. Alake has brought about visible improvements in the following areas:
Budgetary allocation increase in both overhead and capital for the 2024 fiscal year in the Ministry;
Increased number of mining cooperatives registered under Artisanal/Small Scale Mining Scheme, thereby bringing about reduction in illegality in the sector; Seamless procurement processes, leading to Due Process Certification and or No Objection on acquisition of fixed asset and provision of a solution framework targeted at monitoring activities of the illegal miners across the country from the ministry’s headquarters; License review is bringing about transparent licensing regime; and Advent of mining marshals is also frontally addressing the menace of illegal mining across states amongst others.
She concluded that Dr. Dele Alake deserves kudos for his positive impact on the mining sector.
Mayowa Ojo is the Special Assistant, Administration to the Honourable Minister
Source: ALAKE ON RESCUE MISSION, a publication of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, MoSMD.
