By Blessing Odega
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and the University of Jos, in collaboration with the Professorial Chair in Geology and Mineral Science, have trained 250 miners in Plateau on safety practices and sustainable resource development.
The Executive Secretary of the PTDF, Ahmed Aminu, said on Thursday in Jos that the two-day capacity-building workshop was part of the fund’s effort to expand human capacity development beyond petroleum into Nigeria’s growing solid minerals sector.
Aminu, who was represented by Mr Paul Ohabuike, the fund’s Deputy General Manager of Projects, said the workshop was a significant step in aligning small-scale and artisan miners with global best standards.
The executive secretary stated that the PTDF recognised the fact that the Nigerian mining sector held the next potential for job creation and economic diversification.
According to him, for the potential in the mining sector to be achieved, miners must be equipped with the knowledge, tools and discipline to practise mining responsibly, productively and sustainably.
Similarly, Prof. Nuhu Samaila, the PTDF Professorial Chair in Geology and Mineral Sciences at the University of Jos, said the training was focused on safety practices, environmental management and community empowerment.
“This initiative is designed to equip miners with skills that improve productivity while reducing health and environmental risks associated with artisanal and small-scale mining,” he said.
Samaila said that the workshop would also serve as a platform for dialogue, learning, and collaboration between miners, scientists, and development partners.
He further appealed to the government to pay attention to the plights of the miners and reduce the bureaucracy in the sector.
Earlier, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, who was represented by Prof. Samuel Odeh, Dean of Basic Medical Sciences, commended the PTDF for sponsoring the workshop.
Ishaya assured the PTDF of the university’s unflinching support.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Plateau Miners Association, Prof. Stephen Malo, who was represented by Mr Nnadozie Nwosu, lauded the PTDF for the two-day capacity-building workshop.
Malo expressed gratitude for the initiative, saying it would help miners adopt safer and more efficient mining methods while creating better economic opportunities for their communities.
He, however, appealed to the government to address the various challenges confronting miners in the mining sector, such as multiple taxation, revocation of mining titles, and overlapping policies, amongst others.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop commenced on Wednesday and would end on Thursday. NAN
