Business
Contribution Of Solid Minerals To GDP Too Low – Minister
L-R: Project Manager, Food Processing and Packing Machinery, Ms Martina Claus, Managing Director of Fairtrade, Mr Martin Marz, Technical Adviser (Youth and Gender) to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Mosumola Umar, Consular General, Embassy of France, Lagos, Mr Laurent Polonceaux, Project Manager, Subsaharan Africa Livestock and Genetics, Aude Roelly, and Economic Councillor, French Embassy, Francis Widmer, at the opening of Exhibition and Conference on Agrofood and Plastprintpack Nigeria in Lagos, yesterday.
Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, yesterday has said that the contribution of solid minerals to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is low.
Declaring open a seminar on “The Role of Mining Sector in Diversifying the Revenue Base of the Nigerian Economy,” Fayemi described the situation as unacceptable.
The minister noted that in spite of the recognisable size of solid minerals in every local government in Nigeria, its contribution to GDP was too low.
The one day seminar was organised by the non-oil monitoring committee of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
Fayemi, who was represented by the Minister of State, Mr Abubakar Bwari, said the contribution of the sector to GDP was as low as 0.34 per cent.
He said Nigeria had enough resources to make it one of the richest countries in the world but was rated among countries with the highest number of poor people.
Fayemi said that the present administration was determined to change that by ensuring that the solid minerals sector rivals the oil sector.
“In order to do that however, we must formalise the activities of our artisanal miners, repair moribund infrastructure and provide more respectable geosciences data.”
He said there was the need to also engage with foreign and domestic partners and work off an integrated roadmap that would emerge from a broad consultation process.
Fayemi also said that the Federal Government was focusing attention on agriculture because Nigeria was spending more than N1.5 trillion annually to import food, a situation that has put a heavy pressure on the nation’s foreign exchange.
He commended the RMAFC for showing great concern for wealth generation as part of its constitutional responsibility of monitoring revenue accruals into the Federation Account.
He said that its recommendation to upgrade the mines and inspectorate department of the Ministry into an agency was being adopted.
The department is responsible for exploitation and exploration activities as well as collection of operational fees.
Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr Shettima Abba-Gana, in an address said that the commission’s efforts geared towards generating revenue from the sector enabled it to contribute N12 billion into the federation account in 2015.
From this, he said 13 per cent derivation was paid to the states where the solid minerals were gotten from for the first time.
He, however, said that the key problems bedevilling the sector were “dominance of the mining sector by foreign companies, especially the Chinese companies and illegal mining activities by artisanal and small miners all over the country, resulting in environmental devastation and loss of revenue to government.”
Mr Ajibola Fagboyegun, a federal commissioner at the RMAFC told newsmen that the factors hindering mining exploration were being looked into.
“A situation where an individual will have title license covering very large area of land but will not be seen and the prospective investors will find it difficult to come in and work is now being redressed.
“Soon the atmosphere will be conducive for mining business with friendly policy that will encourage investors to come in.
“We are sure many people want to make money and Nigeria is a very good environment for investors to make their money,” he said.
The seminar was geared towards developing new initiatives on how to diversify the economy from crude oil to solid minerals to boost revenue.
Kolomoni Microfinance Bank has awarded grants to five female entrepreneurs to boost their businesses as part of its commitment to promoting women in business.
The initiative, organized to mark International Women’s Day, was themed “Accelerate Her Growth.”
According to the bank, the decision to support women was inspired by World Bank data, which shows that 41 percent of Nigeria’s micro-businesses are owned by women.
Delivering the keynote address, business strategist, Ebun Akinwale, emphasized that entrepreneurship requires resilience, creativity, and passion.
She illustrated this by recounting her own business challenges and highlighting the critical role passion plays in overcoming obstacles.
The event underscored Kolomoni’s mission to empower women and support small businesses in Nigeria.
Other speakers at the occasion were Odunayo Oyebolu, a seasoned entrepreneur; Victori Ajiboye, a marketing strategist with global experience; and Simi Ojumu, a finance expert.
The beneficiaries said the financial support was a validation of their hard work and a boost of confidence towards scaling through in their businesses.
The winners were selected after sharing their entrepreneurial journeys and presenting business proposals for financial assistance from the bank.
The 8th edition of the Nigeria Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Summit and Awards (Nigeria SMEAwards) is set to take place in Lagos for the first time in its history, marking a significant milestone for this prestigious event.
Endorsed by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the annual awards celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit driving Nigeria’s economy.
The visionary convener of NigeriaSMEAwards 2025, Adedayo Olalekan, said, “Governors from Zamfara, Sokoto, Ebonyi, Borno, Enugu, Ekiti, Benue, and Kaduna States have all implemented transformative initiatives that have greatly benefitted local enterprises.
“Their contributions will serve as a beacon of inspiration for the nation.”
Speaking at a recent press conference in Lagos, Olalekan emphasised that the event would introduce a fresh and unique approach, moving away from tradition.
“Despite economic challenges, Nigerians continue to show an unwavering commitment to progress”, he said.
He noted that the awards will not only honor outstanding individuals, but also recognise the critical role state governments play in nurturing vibrant SMEs.
“State governments have been instrumental in fostering a supportive environment for SMEs, which in turn benefits both the awardees and the larger economy.
“With major banks like Providus, Access, and First Banks competing for top honors, the 8th NigeriaSMEAwards promises to be a night of celebration, recognising exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s SME landscape”, Olalekan added.
Amid global challenges such as inflation, geopolitical instability, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Nigerians continue to show remarkable resilience.
Their efforts, according to reports, have contributed to job creation, economic growth, and overall prosperity, with SMEs at the forefront of this success.
This year’s awards will recognise governors who have made significant strides in advancing the SME sector within their states.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) consultants in Rivers State have called on entrepreneurs to be focused and avoid distractions.
The experts, who were speaking on the recent developments about the change of leadership in the state, said entrepreneurs need to put more efforts in their businesses in order to break even in the present situation in Rivers State.
Speaking in a chat with The Tide, an international SMEs consultant, Amb. Larry Goodwill Ajiola, said the political moves is capable of distracting SMEs who are not grounded in their businesses, adding that “the serious minded business men and women would utilise the opportunity to increase their revenues”.
Amb Ajiola, who is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rumuomasi Co-operative and Credit Society Limited, Port Harcourt, said, “Rugged entrepreneurs look out for business opportunities in situations around them, whether good or bad”.
He reiterated that the loan facility given to 3,000 SMEs in the state revived and expanded businesses, adding that the empowered businesses should continue to push, no matter the situation.
“credit is a powerful tool for achieving financial security.
“We can only keep imagin the economic value that the over 3,000 MSMEs would add to the positive economic dynamics of Rivers State and the Local Government Areas in terms of Gross Domestic Prooduct (GDP), increased tax returns, employment creation, income distribution, and production of goods and services”, he said.
Another SMEs Expert, a business consultant and SMEs trainer, Mr. Chisom Sam-Orji, in his advice, noted that every SME in the state should realize that change is the only constant thing.
He said SMEs should also know that “tough times never last, but tough people do”, adding the need for every entrepreneur to stay focused on creating value and remain resilient.
“This is not the time to be distracted by every noise around your space, but to maximize every time you have to focus on the essentials and keep creating value.
“For some people, it may just be the time to diversify, create new products and services to serve a new or existing market. But this must be based on the facts available to you via research and market surveys”, he said.
The SMEs expert also said the present time in the life of an entrepreneur is a time to cut off unnecessary excesses that surround one’s business.
“Those extra costs that may hamper your growth in this season and beyond, and focus on just essentials.
“SMEs should find certain leverages that are available to aid their business growth. This could be in form of grants, knowledge, and other leverage tools.
“Collaboration is one big way to grow in this season. Finding ways to collaborate with like minds instead of competing could enable a product or service gain advantage in the market and beyond.
“They should also find ways to sustain and grow their customer relationship as this is key to sustaining business flow. They must seek new and efficient ways to serve their customers and gain their loyalty”, he stated.
He further called on every entrepreneur to keep building capacity and never take their eyes off their visions, adding the need to muster every courage it takes to keep building and moving forward.
Lilian Peters