The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake has urged mining professionals to groom younger cadres to sustain the development of the nation’s mining sector.

Giving the keynote address at the annual conference of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) on Tuesday, Alake, represented by the Director-General of the Mining Cadastral Office (MCO), Engr. Obadiah Nkom hailed the professional services rendered by mining engineers and geologists in areas of exploration and extraction, emphasising that without their input, mining operations would have been a herculean challenge.

Speaking further, the minister charged the society to partner with the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) by sharing new findings to ensure that the agency becomes a repository of accurate data that will guide prospective investors in making informed decisions about the mining sector.

“It is now very obvious that unless we come together to build the NGSA as a data behemoth that commands the respect of investors and financiers locally and internationally, our efforts to transform the sector will not be sustained, he said.

Alake also urged mining professionals to focus on improving their skills and knowledge to earn the respect of their counterparts globally, emphasising the imperative of putting in place technical instruments germane to the development of the scientific reporting system in line with the Pan-African Reporting Code (PARC) developed by the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC).

Stressing the need to groom a new generation of mining professionals, the Minister urged NMGS to focus on sensitising students in secondary schools on the imperative of pursuing careers in mining sciences.

“Let us recognise the need to build a good foundation for the next generation of mining engineers and geologists. As we sit here, many students in secondary schools are about to choose their career paths. How many teachers and counsellors know about geology and mining professions? Most of the students are going to be advised to choose the traditional disciplines. I therefore urge the NMGS to engage in enlightenment at the secondary school level, to initiate contests and activities that will make many youths see the advantages of pursuing careers in mining sciences, Dr Alake added.