The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD), says it has trained Artisanal and Small Scale Miners (ASMs) on Extension Service, Safer Mining and Gold processing.
Mr Patrick Ojeka, the Director, Artisanal and Small Scale Mining Department, MMSD made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
He said that the ministry had conducted several training for ASMs in the six geopolitical zones on safer mining and best ways of processing gold without using mercury.
Ojeka said the use of mercury for gold processing had caused lots of damages to gold miners and their host mining communities.
“The safer mining training has direct focus on artisanal gold miners on best ways of processing gold,’’ he said.
READ ALSO:https://brandeconomy.com.ng/mpc-economists-predict-rates-retention/
According to Ojeka, the Federal Government spends millions of naira on yearly basis to conduct Extension Service programmes for groups of mining cooperative in the six geopolitical zones on mining issues.
On the operations of its department, the director said inadequate funding had been the biggest challenge hindering their operations.
He said that the activities of the department do not require its officers to be in the office but on the field.
“Lack of equipment and logistics to conduct our duties effectively are parts of the challenges we are facing. We are far behind our peers in other countries due to lack of foreign training as well.
(NAN)
