The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) is set up to unlock the economic potentials of the solid minerals sub-sector in Nigeria.
The MMSD was established in 1985 as a bold attempt by the Nigerian Government to spur the rapid and beneficial development of the country’s solid mineral resources. We are an agency set up to unlock the economic potentials of the solid minerals sub-sector.
The MMSD is responsible for identifying the nation’s solid minerals, advising government on the formulation and execution of laws and regulations guiding the various stages of prospecting, quarrying, and mining, and handling sale and consumption of solid minerals in the country, through the issuance of Permits, Licenses, Leases and Collection of rents, Fees and Royalties.
To exploit the nation’s mineral endowments in an environmentally sustainable manner and establish a vibrant minerals and metals industry for wealth creation, poverty reduction, promotion of economic growth and significant contribution to the GDP of Nigeria.
Essentially, the Ministry is charged with the following responsibilities:
1. Formulating policy
2. Providing information and knowledge to enhance investment in the sector
3. Regulating operations in the solid minerals sector
4. Generating appropriate revenue for the government
In addition, a number of units are directly under the Permanent Secretary, being the Legal Unit, the Press Unit, the Protocol Unit, the Internal Audit Unit, the Procurement Administration & Stock Verification Unit, the Servicom Unit, the Policy Unit, the Revenue Unit, and the Privatization Unit.
Furthermore, 11 Parastatals exists under the Ministry, namely the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geo-Sciences, Jos, Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, National Iron Ore Mining Corporation (NIOMCO), Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geo-scientist (COMEG), National Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), Nigerian Coal Corporation, Nigerian Mining Corporation, Metallurgical Training Institute, and
The MMSD has a total workforce of 761, including 363 staff from the Nigerian Geological Survey, but excluding the newly established Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences in Jos due to be fully staffed. There are some 29 staff members in the units directly under the Permanent Secretary.
