Plateau partners NCX to develop commodity sector

The Plateau State government is to collaborate with Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) to develop the state’s commodities sector as a means of enhancing its local economy. The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs. Linda Barau, said this at the opening ceremony of a 3-day capacity building workshop on product development for solid minerals […]

The Plateau State government is to collaborate with Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) to develop the state’s commodities sector as a means of enhancing its local economy.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs. Linda Barau, said this at the opening ceremony of a 3-day capacity building workshop on product development for solid minerals in Nigeria, organised for NCX’s staff in Jos recently. 

The commissioner, who extended the appreciation of the state governor, Mr. Solomon Lalong, to the NCX for hosting the workshop in the state, announced that stakeholders in the commodities trading sector in the state would be mobilised to partner with the Exchange in achieving the objective of providing an efficient and transparent commodities trading platform in the area.

Earlier in their remarks at the occasion, Mr Emmanuel James Dakas, Chairman of the Environment & Solid Minerals Committee of the Plateau State House of Assembly and his counterpart for the Public Accounts Committee, Mr. Peter Ibrahim Gyendeng, had promised to initiate the passage of relevant laws to support the development of formal trading of the numerous solid minerals and agricultural commodities that abound in the state.

They commended the NCX’s management for hosting the workshop in Jos, noting that “the decision is apt in view of the fact that Plateau State is the home of solid minerals in Nigeria.”

In her address, the NCX’s Managing Director, Mrs. Zaheera Baba-Ari, maintained that the decision to hold the capacity building exercise for the trading of solid minerals in the state was to support the Federal Government’s decision to develop the non-oil sector of the Nigerian economy.

Mrs Baba-Ari said the workshop was the first step in the effort to develop a contract for trading of solid minerals products on the Exchange, adding that the exercise would also serve to enhance the capacity of staff in handling solid minerals trading on a formal marketing platform.

The resource persons included Prof. Stephen Mallo, Prof. Uriah Lar as well as other lecturers from the Department of Geology and Mining of University of Jos, while participants were drawn from relevant departments of Nigeria Commodity Exchange.