THE Federal Government was eyeing the mining sector as an alternative source of revenue generation in the country, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Architect Olamilekan Adegbite, has said.

He spoke during the extension service programme organised by the ministry for Registered and Performing Mining Cooperatives, Small Scale Mining Companies and Quarrying Association, at Federal Secretariat Complex, Uyo, on Wednesday.

Adegbite said with better concentration of the Federal Government on the sector, attention would be diverted from oil economy.

Represented by the Assistant Chief Geologist in the Ministry, Mr. Etido Umoakpan, the minister called on the artisanal and small scale miners in the country to familiarise themselves with legally identified cooperatives to enable them obtain necessary incentives from the Federal Government.

According to him, the move would help checkmate the uncontrolled and hazardous activities of mining in the environment.

“You will all agree with me that an increase in production of minerals will increase the revenue generation of the country and our country can also earn foreign exchange through exportation of minerals.

“Registered mining cooperatives are to be trained so that the mining sector can contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

“It is in recognition of the importance of mining cooperatives that the ministry adopted a strategy termed formalisation, through “cooperatisation” to address the artisanal mining issues while using it as an instrument to alleviate poverty.

“This involves bringing the numerous artisanal and small scale miners scattered in almost all the states of the federation into legally identifiable groups.