“the economy in the years to come will rely solely on solid minerals”- Musa Sada
         
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development,Musa Sada said the need to develop solid minerals in Nigeria had become necessary as it was the only future of this country.
Sada stated this on Monday in Abuja at the presentation of 2014 ministerial platform.
He said considering the potentialities of solid minerals in the country, “the economy in the years to come will rely solely on solid minerals”.
“This is sector of the future that will save the country from economic woes and take us to the promise land.”
Sada said the need to diversify to solid minerals sector was necessary, looking at what was happening in the oil sector where the prices had dropped drastically.
“The nation is endowed with a wide range of minerals spread in the 36 states of the federation and Abuja. Mining had existed for over 2,400 years in Nigeria,” he said.

The minister said Nigeria used to be a major producer and exporter of Columbite and Tin, in additional to coal that was mostly used locally.
He said that nationalization policy of government in the 70’s and the discovery of crude oil had caused the decline in the productivity of the sector.

Sada said government had facilitated active operations in 34 small and major scale mining operations, exploiting targeted strategic minerals resources in the country,that the ministry had secured the support of about two million dollars from donor partners, to key institutions to developed educational curriculum and meet the challenges of the industry.