The Federal Government has advised mining companies to emulate the international best practices of the Segilola Resources Operating Limited (SROL) gold project to develop the sector.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the advice during a site tour of Segilola, an indigenous gold mining company in Ilesha, Osun State, on Thursday, April 4, 2024.

Alake also expressed the commitment of the federal government to support mining companies that place a premium on local content in their operations.

The minister lauded the extensive work that has gone into Segilola’s facility, expressing delight that over 95 per cent of its staff are Nigerians and urged other operators to take a cue from the company.

He said: “It gladdens my heart that this is a wholly Nigerian project, and that is very commendable.

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“Yes, you have contractors, experts, and technical professionals, which is expected in any project of this magnitude, but it is essentially a Nigerian project. That for me is very remarkable and worthy of emulation by other potential investors, local or foreign alike.”

Alake further commended the company’s tenacity of purpose and efficient methods deployed to push through with its vision, despite daunting challenges at inception.

Stressing that his focus has been to redirect local and international attention to the mining sector, the minister said the implementation of his seven-point agenda is to reposition the mining sector.

In his remarks, the MD/CEO of Segilola Resources, Segun Lawson, stated that the company is a world-class project powered by Nigerians, appealing for support from the federal government to enable it to scale up and contribute better to the economy of the country.

Alake, in his response, pledged the support of the government for SROL, “particularly because it promotes local content and positively impacts the host community with developmental projects.”

The Star