Chinese Government Planning to Establish a Mineral Processing Laboratory in Nigeria
The Chinese government is planning to establish a mineral processing laboratory in Nigeria in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries to that effect, the Minister of Mines and Steel, Alhaji Musa Sada has disclosed.
Sada told journalists after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday that the laboratory would be private sector-driven and it would ensure that the country’s solid minerals were processed in the country rather than being taken abroad.
He said that under the agreement, there would be an exchange of information, transfer of technology as well as skills acquisition to boost the mining sector.
“We started this discussion sometime in 2011 and we were able to sign the MoU with the Minister of Land and Resources of Peoples’ Republic of China at the end of November last year, which is actually one year since we started the discussion. Some of the immediate areas that we have already started doing something on is the establishment of World Standard Mineral Processing Laboratory, is very, very important and is one of our shortcomings currently,” he said.
According to him, one critical area of the agreement is the transfer of technology between the two countries.
He said that capacity building also featured prominently in the agreement as the nation needed human skills to achieve the target.
"It is a long term agreement which will last for four years and is renewable afterwards,’’ he added.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, disclosed that the Council approved a training policy for the convoy drivers of Governors, Ministers, Heads of agencies and Permanent Secretaries.
This, he said, was to forestall the increasing rate of accidents involving convoys of dignitaries in recent times.
"In the report presented to the council by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), some drivers were said not to be qualified while some have visual impairment.
”FEC, therefore, adopted a training policy for all drivers of heads of MDAs, Permanent Secretaries and Governors. They have to be properly trained, physically and mentally stable” he added.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Category: Africa
