NSME requires rigorous safety standards in mining operations – THIS UPDATE

By Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers (NSME) said every mining operation must maintain rigorous safety standards, effective risk management and a culture where the protection of lives takes precedence over production targets and commercial pressures.

The National President of the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers, Eng. Umar Hassan, made the appeal in his keynote address at the 25th Annual General Meeting and International Conference of the society held on Wednesday at the Adankolo campus of the Federal University, Lokoja.

Hassan said safety must remain a non-negotiable principle, stressing that “we must ensure that the recent loss of life due to mining accidents and related circumstances, as recorded in the Zurak mine accident, Dekina coalfields and Niger State goldfields, is not repeated”

He called on the Federal Government to urgently deploy additional mining and mineral processing engineers to man state mining inspectorate offices for monitoring mining operations in minefields and enforcing compliance with the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (NMMA), 2007 and its 2011 regulations.

It also urged the Federal Government to compel mining operators to employ mining and mineral processing engineers to supervise their mining operations and mineral processing plant operations in line with Section 73 of the NMMA, 2007.

The National President illustrated the Theme of the Silver Jubilee Conference; “From Potential to Prosperity: Designing the Solid Minerals Sector as a Catalyst for Nigeria’s Economic Renewal” as a timely and welcome development that would impact the mining industry.

He said Nigeria’s mineral resources represent a historic opportunity for economic transformation, the prosperity of which must be engineered through sound policies, reliable geoscientific data, responsible investment, modern infrastructure, environmental management, technological innovation and professional leadership.

“As we celebrate the Silver Jubilee Conference, we renew our commitment to building a mining sector that is safe, inclusive, environmentally friendly, innovative and globally competitive” warned the National President

He disclosed that the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers, inaugurated on June 24, 1989, has the responsibility to advance the science and practice of engineering in mining professions, mineral processing, extractive metallurgy and geological engineering.

Other goals for his institution, he said, include; bringing together all mining, mining and geological engineers in Nigeria under one umbrella, advancing the science and practice of mining engineering, providing a means of facilitating the acquisition and retention of knowledge relating to the profession of geology, mining, mineral processing and extractive metallurgy, presenting to any government the views of the Society on any legislative enactment and improving the welfare of the members of the Society and protecting their interests.

Governor Ahmed Ododo, speaking at the event, promised strong collaboration with the Nigerian Society of Mining Engineers in terms of formulating policies that will ensure safety standards in mining operations in the state.

Governor Ododo, represented by the Kogi State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Abanika Taiye, commended the Society for the journey so far in the last 25 years of its establishment and urged members to maintain pace in the years to come.

The Governor, who expressed delight at the abundant mineral resources in Kogi State, said what remained was how to convert these resources towards sustainable development.

“The solid minerals sector is of great value to the state, hence my administration’s call for all willing investors to come and help us harness these resources for the benefit of the people in socio-economic development and job creation,” Ododo said.

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