The Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has urged the Federal Government to publish all agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed with investors in the mining and solid minerals sector, saying transparency must come before accountability.
A statement from her Media Office on Sunday said the lawmaker made the call during a Senate session on solid minerals oversight.
Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to invoke the Freedom of Information Act to make all contractual documents accessible to both the National Assembly and the general public. She said openness was key to building citizens’ trust and avoiding the mistakes that had undermined Nigeria’s oil industry.
“We would like all the various MOUs you have entered into to be made available to Nigerians,” she said. “When you begin to disclose your engagements and contracts, then we can begin to say our government is transparent. And from transparency, Nigerians can begin to hold our government accountable.”
The senator, a lawyer and development advocate, said accountability in the solid minerals sector could not be achieved without basic transparency mechanisms. She also urged the ministry to leverage digital tools by publishing all relevant documents on its official website for public access.
“We are in the digital age, and it won’t take much to publish this information,” she said. “Nigerians deserve to know who is exploiting their resources and under what terms.”
Representing one of Nigeria’s most mineral-rich regions, Akpoti-Uduaghan linked her call for openness to the plight of her constituents in Kogi Central. She lamented that despite hosting over 52 commercially viable mineral deposits, her people remain impoverished while investors continue to profit.
“Kogi Central has over 52 solid minerals in commercial quantities, yet we are impoverished in the land of plenty,” she said. “Each time I meet with my communities, they ask when they will begin to benefit from these abundant minerals.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also expressed concern over Nigeria’s untapped wealth in gemstones such as ruby, emerald, and tourmaline, revealing that some of these are already being extracted without adequate revenue returns to the country.
“Nigeria has ruby, emerald, and tourmaline, particularly in Cross River State, where these minerals are being exploited, but I do not think the nation is getting significant revenue from them,” she said.
The senator cautioned the government against allowing the solid minerals sector to become another conduit for corruption and unregulated exploitation, as seen in the oil industry.
While commending the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, for his reform initiatives, she advised that due diligence should not be sacrificed for speed.
“It is important that in the solid minerals sector, we must be careful,” she said. “The minister’s drive is commendable, but we must apply brakes to ensure we cross our T’s and dot our I’s. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the oil sector.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan also demanded full disclosure of inflows and balances in the National Resources Fund, which she said receives 1.68 percent of special funds from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
“I would like to know how much we have generated over time into the National Resources Fund,” she said. “Since 1.68 percent goes in every time from the special funds derived from the Federation Account, how much have we generated in the past three years, and how much do we have there now?”
