Fayemi urges Chinese mining company to establish mineral processing plant

Dr Kayode Fayemi, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development has urged Kenyang, a Chinese mining company to establish a mineral processing plant in Nigeria to reduce importation of minerals by miners.

Fayemi made the call during a tour of the company’s mining site on Tuesday in Lafia.

The Kenyang Mining Company Nigeria Ltd. is sited at Udege in Nasarawa Local Government, Nasarawa State and mines tin and columbite for export.

According to him, if the company sets up a processing plant, it will create more jobs for the youths and reduce importation of tin and columbite minerals by the local companies.

The minister said that it would also serve as value addition to the Nigeria mining industry.

“The plan of the Federal Government is to diversify the economy through the mining sector to create more jobs and to reduce importation of minerals.

“That is why we are encouraging Kenyang to set up a processing mineral plant to improve its products at the local and international level to get more value that will earn the company more hard currencies,” he said.

Fayemi assured the company of maximum assistance from the ministry in its bid set up the processing plant.

He also called on the company to treat the large pond on its site and the pipe that pumps water into the community for consumption and irrigation of their farms.

Reacting to the recent attack on the company by some of the community youths, he said that the state and the community leaders would ensure safety of their lives and property.

Alhaji Halilu Bala, the Royal Highness of Udege Chiefdom who received the minister in his palace, said “Nasarawa is blessed with large deposit of minerals and the community has the highest number of minerals.’’

Bala said that the company was attacked last month by some youths that formed a notorious group with criminal intentions to destroy their property worth millions of naira, adding that some of the hoodlums had been arrested.

On the degradation of the land through mining, he requested that government should provide road, water, hospital and school to the community as compensation.

Responding, Mr Miuer Xu, the Site Manager of Kenyang, promised to fulfil the minister’s request and to continue to support the community.

Xu expressed gratitude to the Royal Highness of the community and the state government for their prompt intervention to subdue the attack and provide adequate security to the company.

The Kenyang mining company started mining operations in Nigeria in 2007.

The visit to the company’s site is in continuation of minister’s nationwide tour of mining sites in the country.

He has visited four states – Kaduna, Lagos, Ogun and Nasarawa.