A bill seeking to address environmental devastation in the country and the establishment of solid minerals producing areas development commission has scaled a second reading at the Senate.
Sponsoring the bill is a member of the Red Chamber, Yakubu Oseni, representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The title of the bill is “A Bill for an Act to establish the solid minerals producing areas development commission in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to address environmental devastation and for other connected matters thereto, 2021.”
It bill passed the second reading after a debate on the framework of the bill was given by Oseni on Tuesday during the plenary.
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Oseni said, “The Nigerian Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative (NEITI) reported that there are approximately 40 different kinds of solid minerals and precious metals buried in Nigerian soil waiting to be exploited.
“The sector offers a viable alternative to petroleum for foreign exchange earnings.
“Globally, the mining industry has been a close rival to the petroleum industry, while Nigeria only earns a paltry 89 million dollars per annum from it.”
