Senate Calls For Prioritisation of Solid Minerals sector

The Senate has called for greater prioritisation of the solid minerals sector following a budget appraisal interface between the Joint National Assembly Committee on Solid Minerals and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.

The session, which took place on Monday at the National Assembly, Abuja, formed part of the 2026 budget defence of the Ministry, focusing on the implementation framework, fiscal plan, revenue generation, and sectoral growth.

The Committee met earlier in the day with the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Dele Alake, and the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Farouk Yabo, before a session with MDAs under the ministry, including the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency, the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences, Jos, and the Solid Minerals Development Fund, later.

During the interaction, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Senator Ekong Sampson (Akwa Ibom South), harped on the need to prioritise solid minerals development to maximise the huge potential that the sector presents – a position also canvassed by many of the Lawmakers present at the meeting.

Senator Sampson further urged agencies of the ministry to adopt innovative and legally grounded approaches to ramp up revenue generation for the sector and boost economic growth.

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Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Dele Alake, in his presentation, offered insights on some of the programmes and initiatives of the Ministry. He lauded the Committee for its continuous collaboration, while assuring concerted efforts to drive growth of the minerals sector in Nigeria.

The engagement also provided lawmakers with the opportunity to assess the ministry’s performance, clarify spending patterns, and reinforce legislative expectations for improved contribution of the solid minerals sector to national economic diversification.