If we are serious about ending our dependency on foreign imports in Nigeria, we need to create a vertically integrated solid minerals/manufacturing directorate with a mandate to convert every raw material under its jurisdiction into finished products

Ayo Akinfe

[1] Are Nigerians aware of the fact that their country has significant lithium supplies? For those who do not know, lithium is used to make lithium-ion batteries for electric cars and mobile devices. Global demand for it is very high at the moment

[2] Nigeria also has significant Chromium reserves. Chromium is what is used to manufacture stainless steel, which is a compulsory prerequisite for industrialisation

[3] Putting our thinking caps on and thinking outside the box, has it occurred to us that there is a link between religious faith and solid minerals? You know why? Many religious orders hold vigils, worship and pray on mountain tops. As we all know, most of the earth’s solid minerals are located in rock formations. Has it occurred to anyone that all these prayer meetings are actually taking place on top of rich mineral deposits?

[4] I have a proposal that will kill two birds with one stone. First of all, people complain about noise pollution from loudspeakers in built-up areas, so let us licence faith houses to open churches and mosques on out-of-town mountain top locations. Grant them licences to build facilities on such locations

[5] However, I would want responsibility for these licences transferred to the minister for solid minerals with one small caveat. Every licence holder most prospect for minerals on their location to ascertain if it contains any hidden gems. You may find the results staggering

[6] I do not think it is demanding too much to ask every church and mosque group in Nigeria to employ one geologist, buy two dozen pick axes and shovels and ask their young members to spend say one hour a week prospecting for solid minerals. Our ministry of solid minerals should supply heavy machinery if anything is discovered or provide high tech equipment if the geologist requires it

[7] This is a win-win for everyone as we reduce noise pollution in our urban centres, prospect for solid minerals cheaply and if anything is discovered the faith house should get to keep about 25% of all proceeds. Over the long term, faith houses should be encouraged to create investment arms that will take out stakes in these mining companies

[8] There is nothing dramatic or revolutionary about religious investment. This is how we got the Islamic Development Bank and how all those Quaker companies like Cadbury’s, Kellogg’s, Quaker Oats, etc were formed. Confectionery in particular benefitted immensely from Christian capital historically because it did not involve the production of alcohol. Christian groups saw it as an ethical industry in which to invest their capital and I think we can make a similar case for solid minerals in Nigeria

[9] In North America, coal and crushed stone are two major minerals found in the Appalachian Mountains that straddle the US and Canada. Coal is mined by a technique called mountain top removal which involves blasting away mountain tops. The removed mountain tops provide crushed stones for construction industries. There are other minor mining activities such as iron ore and gold prospecting that also take place in the Appalachian Mountains. Is there any reason why we cannot prospect for minerals this way across Nigeria?

[10] If we are serious about diversifying our economy and becoming a major manufacturing origin, we need to come with a vertically integrated programme as they have done in South Korea and Malaysia whereby we produce everything from raw material to finished product locally

ayoakinfe@gmail.com