The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has lauded the Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG) for upholding professionalism, ethics, and global best practices in Nigeria’s mining sector.
Speaking at the induction of new mining and geoscience professionals, Alake described COMEG as a strategic partner in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the drive to diversify the economy through solid minerals.
He congratulated the inductees for joining a noble profession and charged them to uphold integrity, embrace technology, and promote safety and environmental standards.
The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Farouk Yabo, also highlighted COMEG’s role in digital transformation, professional development, ethical enforcement, and the formalisation of artisanal small-scale mining.
Dr. Alake explained that in 2025 alone, the ministry issued about 867 mining licences, with sector revenue rising from N12 billion to over N50 billion, alongside expanded nationwide geological surveys.
He assured that the federal government would continue to support COMEG through policy, funding, and legislation, urging stakeholders to harness Nigeria’s mineral resources to achieve the administration’s $1 trillion economy target.
Earlier, the Registrar of the Council of Nigerian Engineering and Geoscientists, COMEG, Professor Zacheus Opafunso, applauded the Minister for providing policy direction and institutional support that shaped the successful delivery of the 2025 K-Entrepreneurship Training Programme.
Professor Opafunso said the Minister’s intervention ensured operational stability and policy continuity, particularly after the agency was removed from the Federal Government budget in January 2024.
He noted that Dr Alake’s leadership was pivotal in securing national-level approval for the KME framework and strengthening engagement with the Office of the Head of Service and the Council on Establishment.
According to him, 27 out of 30 committee members voted in favour of the KME integration proposal, marking a key milestone in advancing professional regulation, sector reforms, and capacity building within the minerals industry.
Professor Opafunso also commended the minister for facilitating strategic partnerships and guiding negotiations that significantly reduced implementation costs — from ₦72 million to ₦20 million.
He said this financial breakthrough allowed the programme to proceed despite limited funding, demonstrating prudent resource management and innovative policy execution.
He explained that the redesigned training structure — combining induction, technical learning, certification, and practical field sessions — reflects a modern approach to professional development and sector readiness.
On his part, the Director General of the Nigeria Geoscience Agency Survey, Professor Olusegun Ige, charged the newly inducted members to uphold ethics, professionalism, and national service.
Ige described mining engineers and geoscientists as critical to Nigeria’s solid minerals development and economic diversification while praising COMEG’s regulatory efforts.
Some of the inductees, including Emily Atchafodile and Mohammed Adoki, expressed excitement, saying the induction was long overdue and the experience was overwhelming.
A total of 259 engineers and geoscientists were inducted into the council.
