The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi has disclosed how his ministry spent N700 million to develop an Integrated Automation and Interactive GIS Web Portal to improve `Ease-of-Doing-Business in the mining sector.
He said on Thursday in Abuja the portal is a cutting edge initiative that leveraged technology for the innovation, efficiency and effectiveness in the mineral sector governance.
According to him, the overall objective of the project was to increase provision of reliable information and knowledge, to enhance promotion of investments in the sector, using the technology-driven innovation and to increase the sector’s GDP.
The portal was designed for mining investors to perform business processes such as online mining licences and mineral titles applications, online payment of royalties and fees, database for revenue drive and to block revenue leakages.
PaRt of its features include provision of credible and timely information about the mining sector, performs and responds to online queries, business intelligence/analytics, reports and statistical data generation.
Mining investors could view all existing mining titles and track them anywhere in the world through the portal, access all agencies information, global mining news, live chat and document library, among others.
Lists of mining operators with valid licences and related minerals trade on private mineral buying centre and renewal of private mineral buying centres could also be accessed through the portal.
According to the minister, the portal is designed to serve as an input and decision support system to other entities of government MDAs.
“This event is coming at a very auspicious time, on a broad scale; dividends of this administration’s commitment to turning around our economic fortunes,’’ he said.
“Nigeria had moved up in the global market by 24 points in the ease of doing business index for 2018 in a recent report released by World Bank.”
For the portal, Fayemi said 75 staffers have been trained on GIS across the mining sector.
Operation of online application of mining title and licences issued by Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, online application of licences and permit issued by Mines Inspectorate Department and GIS laboratory, among others, would commence in the first quarter of 2018.
Abubakar Bwari, junior minister, said the integrated web portal was conceived as a means of making information more accessible to players and the public alike.
He noted the initiative was to revamp the sector, as the ministry was moribund before himself and the senior minister assumed the sector.
According to him, government is a continuum and as long as subsequent administrations keep to track, mining will become the crown jewel of Nigeria’s economy.
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