by The Executive Secretary of Solid Mineral Development Fund (SMDF), Hajia Fatima Umaru Shinkafi played host to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD), Dr. Mary Ogbe, who was on a familiarization visit to SMDF on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
Highlights of the Visit:
* The Permanent Secretary, Dr Mary A. Ogbe expressed satisfaction with the reforms being pursued at the SMDF, and the successes achieved so far.
* Dr. Ogbe called for continuous efforts to grow the Country economically in line with the sector’s primary mandate.
* She said the visit has provided her better understanding of the Agency’s activities.
* The Permanent Secretary stressed the importance of collaboration between the Ministry and its Agencies.
* She acknowledged and commended the mutual relationship existing between the Ministry and SMDF, which she described as very critical to achieving its mandate for economic diversification and enhancing infrastructures in the solid minerals sector.
* Dr. Ogbe affirmed that the Ministry will consolidate and sustain its mutual relationship with SMDF and its other agencies to enable them actualize their mandates for the benefit of the citizenry and investors.
* She extolled the Solid Minerals Development Fund ( SMDF) on her modest achievements under the present Executive Secretary, Hajia Fatima Shinkafi.
* The Executive Secretary (SMDF), Hajia Umaru Fatima Shinkafi, appreciated the support of the Ministry, which she noted has made reforms aimed at repositioning the SMDF attainable.
She affirmed that the essence of SMDF is to enhance both human and physical capacity in the minerals and mining sector, particularly the mining institutions to enable them perform their statutory functions.
* Hajia Shinkafi disclosed that upon her assumption of office in 2017, she met existing gaps across mandate, governance, funding, risk management as well as investment processes that needed reforming attention.
* She said in a bid to close the wide gaps across all aspects of the sector when she came on board as the Executive Secretary, reforms were initiated, which she said had reached an advanced state of implementation, especially the effort to replace the Act establishing the Fund as the as it is already outdated and counterproductive.
* The Executive Secretary revealed that her agency is at the last quarter of the implementation on the reforms and that the main lever left is an amendment to the law. She stated that a federal executive bill was approved and passed to the National Assembly for legislative processes as she stressed the need for the law to be amended for the agency’s mandate to be achieved.
* She expressed gratitude to the Ministry and its management for their support towards repositioning of SMDF.
The Perm Sec Dr. Mary A. Ogbe and her team being received by the Executive Secretary, SMDF, Hajia Fatima Umaru Shinkafi.
The Permanent Secretary’s team and SMDF Staff
The Permanent Secretary, MMSD, Dr. Mary A. Ogbe during her address
The Executive Secretary, SMDF, Hajia Fatima Umaru Shinkafi during her welcome remarks
The SMDF Team
The Deputy Director/Head Geo sciences and Data Management Department (DMD) ….. Mr Kefas Malgwi giving Vote of thanks on behalf of SMDF
Presentation of Souvenir to the Permanent Secretary, MMSD, Dr. Mary A. Ogbe by the Executive Secretary, SMDF, Hajia Fatima Umaru Shinkafi
From left; The Permanent Secretary, MMSD, Dr. Mary A. Ogbe and the Executive Secretary, SMDF, Hajia Fatima Umaru Shinkafi
Group Photograph
