The Presidency has debunked rumours circulating on social media that France is taking on Nigeria’s mining sector.
In keeping with Particular Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, Nigeria didn’t signal away its mining rights throughout President Bola Tinubu’s latest state go to to France.
POLITICS NIGERIA studies {that a} Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Nigeria and France to develop joint initiatives that promote and diversify each nations’ essential minerals worth chains within the stable minerals sector. Nevertheless, this led to hypothesis on-line that France was planning to take over Nigeria’s mining sector.
Dare clarified that the MOU is targeted on selling sustainable mining actions, decreasing environmental influence, and establishing joint extractive and processing initiatives.
He stated, “The French usually are not Taking Over. Nowhere within the doc was it agreed or instructed that Nigeria has signed away Mining Rights to the French, nor does it connote something in opposition to Nigeria’s {Economic} and Safety curiosity as being maliciously circulated.
“Nigeria and France have agreed to develop joint initiatives to advertise and diversify the essential minerals worth chain Within the stable minerals sector of each nations. Essential minerals reminiscent of copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt and uncommon earth parts are important to scrub vitality applied sciences.
“Within the Memorandum of Understanding signed by each nations on the sidelines of the official go to to France by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu just lately, each nations agreed to collaborate on analysis, coaching and Franco-Nigerian college students exchanges for information and abilities switch.
“A key element of the Memorandum of Understanding is the promotion of sustainable mining actions by executing initiatives and programmes which cut back the environmental influence of mining on carbon emissions, water consumption and local weather change.
“It additionally contains the institution of joint extractive and processing initiatives by means of co-financing by private and non-private entities to diversify and safe the availability of essential minerals and decarbonise vitality initiatives essential to the worth chain.”
“Each agreed to undertake worldwide greatest practices within the execution of programmes and initiatives to enhance the situations of the native populace affected by mining and guarantee transparency.
“The MOU is anticipated to open new alternatives for the remediation of over 2,000 deserted pits within the nation by means of its plan to intervene in environmental rehabilitation and post-mining initiatives.
“By way of common bilateral and multilateral coaching, seminars and occasions, directors of establishments within the essential Metals sector are anticipated to enhance their capability to handle the sector’s worth chain,” he added.