The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Abdulkadir Mu’azu, has said there is a need for sustained engagement and interactive platform among experts in the sector.

He gave this advice while delivering a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the third edition of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, according to a statement.

Mu’azu, who was represented by the ministry’s director, Mr Zacceus Atte, said the purpose of the meeting was to brainstorm and provide input for the governance of the sector in order to achieve the desired result in the diversification plan of the government.

He called on all delegates to work together to address issues facing the sector which bordered on illegal mining, poor governance, poor revenue generation and value-chain activities in the sector for economic and social growth.

According to the statement, the theme of the meeting, ‘Nigeria Minerals and Metals Sector, Spectrum for Investment Opportunities for Economic Growth and Development’, is in consonant with the government’s cardinal objective of creating a global competitive sector capable of diversifying the economy.

The Director, Planning Research and Statistics, MMSD, Mr Jamiu Abdulkareem, was quoted as saying that the 2019 edition of the conference would harness the collective wisdom of all stakeholders in search of solutions to the challenges militating against growth and development of the sector.

The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Fuminiyi Afuniyi, in his goodwill message, challenged the mining industry to put the state in the limelight by exploring and exploiting its abundant mineral resources for the benefit of the entire nation.