To accelerate job creation and revenue generation, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, on Tuesday inaugurated the Gold Processing Plant in Mopa, Mopa- Muro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
A statement signed by the Head Press Department in the Ministry, Funmi Imuetinyan in Abuja, said the move is also in efforts to develop the downstream mining sector.
At the Inauguration, Adegbite noted that the informal trading of unprocessed gold has led to capital flights hence the need to establish the Gold Processing Plant in Mopa to attract foreign markets to Nigeria.
“The siting of the Gold Processing Plant in Mopa is predicated on its Central position on the Schist Belt which trends from the Northwest through Western Kogi State to Southwest Nigeria,” he said.
He said the Nigerian Schist Belt is known to host rich deposits of gold and the location of the Gold Processing Plant in Mopa will ensure that artisanal and small-scale gold operators within the Schist Belt states can easily have access to the plant for their gold processing and refining activities respectively.
He added that the project is designed based on the cluster concept which has become a global trend in industrial development to promote shared amenities, agglomeration of similar producers, customers based on geographical proximity or access to complementary expertise to promote efficiency and increase specialization and production.
Instead of dishing out cash or other material gifts to the people to cushion the effects of the pandemic, the Ministry embarked on a more strategic people-oriented project that is sustainable and economically viable to trigger capacity development, job and wealth creation for the people.
According to Adegbite, the facility houses state-of-the-art gold processing machinery and equipment, over 30 stalls, administrative block, training section, MMSD office, stable power supply, among others.
Also, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade, said the conceptualization of the project was a fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of dishing out cash or other material gifts to the people to cushion the effects of the pandemic, she said the Ministry embarked on a more strategic people-oriented project that is sustainable and economically viable to trigger capacity development, job and wealth creation for the people.
“Mopa is a town of hope, a land of promise that the commissioning of the project marks the beginning of the unlocking of prosperity of the land, and of all the states in the North Central Geopolitical zone and by extension, Nigeria,” Akinlade said.
Also the Kogi Governor State, Yahaya Bello, represented by his Senior Special Adviser on Solid Mineral Resources, Mohammed Yusuf, said the government and people are overwhelmed with joy for siting such an important project in the state and promised more synergy between the state and the Federal Government.
In his goodwill message, the Elulu of Mopa, Oba Julius Joledo, whose message was read by Oba of Odole, Oba Bayo James Aje, appreciated the Federal Government for citing the project in the community.
