The Federal Government has called for greater participation of women in mining business, noting that the emotional intelligence of women will place women at an advantaged position to play crucial roles in ongoing efforts to explore trade opportunities of the sector.
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc Olamilekan Adegbite who made the call while receiving the Honorary Fellowship Award of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) bestowed on him in recognition of his relentless drive to move the sector forward, said “inclusivity of the female gender in the sector is necessary to achieve set goals.”
Special Assistant, Media, to the Minister, Mr Ayodeji Adeyemi quoted the minister as saying: “I am very sensitive to gender issues, we want more women in the mining sector,” he said, adding that the emotional intelligence of women, a trait readily showcased by women, is now being globally recognised.
According to the minister, emotional intelligence is very important; women should be encouraged to take their rightful position in the society and in the world of mining business.
While commending the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Mrs Oluwatoyin Akinlade for her understanding of the mining sector, he said: “The Permanent Secretary of the ministry is a medical doctor by profession, and she has quickly adapted to the sector, and has shown a lot of good attitude.”
Adegbite commended Nigerian mining sector professionals, describing them as “highly skilled and dedicated,” noting that their competence has eased his ability to realize set goals.
The minister explained that the high degree of professionalism in the sector is instrumental to the milestones he had achieved as Minister. This comes as a welcome news to the sector which has been attracting interests from foreign investors from the global mining world, proving that the industry has the local manpower to drive it forward.
The minister said: “When I was nominated for the position of minister, we went through the screening process at the senate; I had no inkling that I would be Minister of Mines and Steel Development. It came as a surprise to me after we were sworn in.”
“I have met a lot of professionals here who know their onions and who made the job easier for me,” he added.
The outgoing president of NMGS, Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom lauded the minister for his relentless drive to move the sector forward saying, “we appreciate your role in the sector, the support you have given to NMGS and for the support the ministry gave to our Society during the just-concluded conference we held in Ibadan, thank you so much.”
Nkom, who is also the Director General of the Mining Cadastre Office commended the minister for moving the National Integrated Mineral Exploration Project, NIMEP programme to the next phase. He said: “We are particularly happy about the NIMEP project and the support you have given NIMEP.”
NIMEP is a rapid response project of the Federal Government to the dearth of geosciences data. The project has engaged high caliber local and international professionals to conduct exploration in brown and green fields for gold, lead, zinc, tantalite, lithium, and iron ore. This will generate credible geoscience data needed to boost investor-confidence in the Nigerian mining sector.
