The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has lauded the Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG) for maintaining high standards of professionalism, ethics, and global best practices in Nigeria’s mining industry.

Dr. Alake made the commendation on Thursday during the 15th induction and oath-taking ceremony for the 2025 COMEG inductees, where 236 new mining and geoscience professionals and 23 corporate bodies were formally sworn in as members of the council.

Describing COMEG as a strategic partner in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to diversify the economy through solid minerals, the minister highlighted the council’s role in digital transformation, professional development, ethical enforcement, and the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining.

The minister, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Farouk Yabo, urged the inductees to uphold professional integrity, embrace technology, and promote safety and environmental standards.

He also assured COMEG of continued Federal Government support through policy, funding, and legislation, urging stakeholders to harness Nigeria’s mineral resources to help achieve the administration’s $1 trillion economy target.

Earlier, the COMEG Registrar, Prof. Zacheus Opafunso, commended Dr. Alake for providing the direction and institutional backing that enabled the successful delivery of the 2025 K-Entrepreneurship Training Programme in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

He noted that the minister’s intervention ensured operational stability and policy continuity, particularly after the agency was removed from the federal budget in January 2024.

Opafunso emphasised that Dr. Alake’s leadership was pivotal in securing national-level approval for the KME framework, strengthening engagement with the Office of the Head of Service and the Council on Establishment.

He revealed that 27 out of 30 committee members voted in favour of the KME integration proposal, a key milestone for advancing professional regulation, sector reforms, and capacity building within the mining industry.

The registrar also highlighted strategic partnerships and negotiations that reduced implementation costs from ₦72 million to ₦20 million, allowing the entrepreneurship programme to proceed despite limited funding.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Prof. Olusegun Ige, charged the new members to uphold ethics, professionalism, and national service.