President Mohammadu Buhari Says-Improvement Of Gold Mining Operations In Nigeria Will Generates 250,000 Jobs

President Muhammadu Buhari says improved gold mining operations in the country will generate about 250,000 jobs and more than 500 million dollars annually in revenue to the Federal Government.

The President affirmed this at the official presentation of locally mined gold bars by the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMDI), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

President Buhari, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to establishing gold refineries in Nigeria.

He made it clear that this laudable initiative would facilitate creation of jobs for the populace, diversifying the revenue base, and improving foreign exchange reserves.

The president added that with the implementation of the PAGDMI scheme leading to setting-up of accredited gold buying centres across key mining areas, artisanal miners and SMEs engaged in mining enjoy economic prosperity.

Furthermore, this development would help in improving Nigeria’s foreign reserves by enabling the Central Bank of Nigeria to increase the amount of gold in its reserves.

President Buhari announced that in addition to the potential revenue gains occurring to mining operations, efforts were being made to setting up of gold refineries in Nigeria.

 

On environmental degradation, President Buhari pledged that Government would pay close attention to safety and environmental measures to protecting workers and the environment.

The Nigerian President commended all stakeholders involved in the PAGMI programme for their painstaking efforts in developing a programme aimed at improved sourcing and refining of high-quality gold bars, derived from minefields in Nigeria.

He affirmed that efforts were being made to supporting artisanal miners in improving the standard of gold to be sold to the Central Bank, to ensuring that it was of international standard.

In a remark, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state said the initiative would boost individual and collective production of gold in the country leading to major revenue earnings.

Locally mined gold deposit from Kebbi state was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari on the occasion of about three hundred million naira.

The Presidential Gold Initiative was launched in Mararraba Birnin Yauri in Kebbi state in February this year by the Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Muhammad assisted by Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu on behalf of the Federal Government.