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| Official commissioning of Barite Plant |
The federal government has formally inaugurated barite processing plant in Cross River State.
In an effort to ban the importation of barite and promote
its local production, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Mines and
Steel Development, has commissioned a barite processing plant in Ugaga Community, Yala LGA, Cross River
State.
Speaking at the inauguration of the barite processing plant,
the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, noted that
its location in Ugaga, Cross State was significant due to the rich deposits of
barite there.
He said, “I am delighted to address you on this August
event, which marks the commissioning of the Barite Processing Plant in Ugaga,
Cross River State, South-South, Nigeria.
According to a statement by the ministry’s Head of Press,
Funmi Imuetinyan said that the news launched plant will create over twenty
thousand jobs along the mining value chain in the South-South zone area.
Adegbite noted that the plant would improve revenue
generation of the ASM subsector operators and government, adding that the
project will increase the rate and exports of value-added products, and
services and attracting foreign and local investments.
He said: “It is instructive to know that Barite Processing
Plant is designed with facilities to beneficiate, test, certify, document, and
effect necessary payments for royalties and processing fees required to support
local exploitation of oil and the international market. The facility houses
state-of-the-art barite processing machineries and equipment, over 30 stalls,
administrative block, training section, MMSD office, stable power supply.
“It may also interest you to know, that the Ministry of
Mines and Steel under my leadership and Sen. Gbemisola Saraki, as a matter of
Strategy, prioritized the ASM to stem incessant illegalities that have fraught
the subsector in Nigeria by initiating and supporting biometric data capturing
of all registered artisanal and small-scale miners across the country under the
formalization and mainstreaming of ASM operators.
“We are presently creating an ecosystem to minimize the high
rate of illegal mining and smuggling, increase Government’s revenue from the
resource, create jobs, and improve environmental and social stewardship. The
Minister regretted that the informal trading of unprocessed barite leads to
revenue and job losses.”
Adegbite stressed that the landmark project is in line with
the current administration’s resolve to anchor its economic diversification
agenda on two key sectors of Mining and Agriculture,
In her address, the Permanent Secretary of Mines and Steel,
Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade, explained that the aim of the projects in each
geopolitical zone is to develop and create more job for people across the zone.
She said: “Six projects were conceptualized, out of which a
Barite Ore Processing Plant was designated for Ugaga in Cross River State.
Barite is a “utility mineral” that can be used for various purposes ranging
from crude oil drilling to pharmaceuticals. we are indeed blessed as a people.
“To the glory of God, the project has been completed and we
are here today to witness its commissioning. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me point
out at this juncture, that the facility here, will be processing barite to the
International API standard, making it suitable for export to other parts of the
world in other to generate foreign exchange. It is a laudable project.”
It was reported that the Federal Government was working with
TotalEnergies to invest in mining the country’s barites reserves.
It was also reported that professional bodies such as the
Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, and universities offering
petroleum engineering in states where Nigeria has barite reserves were also
involved in the project.
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