The federal government has unveiled the Nigerian minerals resource Decision Support System (DSS) to help investors make informed decisions in the sector.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, unveiled the software on Tuesday in Abuja.

The DSS is a comprehensive software platform that serves as a one-stop shop for investors seeking credible and decisive information on Nigeria’s mineral resources, facilities and infrastructure.

It was established to raise the public’s awareness of Nigerian mineral potential, demonstrate the transparency and reliability of public services, and develop the national economy.

Mr Alake said the software was part of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda to revamp the solid minerals sector and boost the country’s economic profile.

He said revamping the sector involved introducing technological innovations in marketing, which the software leveraged to achieve.

“Generating investor traffic requires the deployment of strategies to gain a competitive advantage. Technology has offered new ways to achieve that strategy.

“What we are here to inaugurate today is a game changer. It is the most investor-friendly magnet that has ever happened in this industry. It seeks to cut the cost of investment research, ” the minister said.

He said the software was designed to interact with its users and provide data on the mining business’s geology, hydrology, and urban geography.

“It answers these questions with electronic diagrams and maps, enabling you to develop scenarios to project your mining investments, plan your budget and hit the ground running,“ he said.

According to the minister, Nigeria is determined to diversify its economy, especially with the global upsurge of the energy transition, creating a high demand for critical minerals that it possesses in commercial quantities.

“Our mineral resources have the potential to supersede oil in generating gross domestic product (GDP) for the country,“ he said.

The minister said the present administration had implemented policies and initiatives to sanitise the sector, including a dual-pronged approach of coercive and persuasive measures concurrently implemented to combat illegal mining.

According to him, part of the coercive measure is establishing the Mining Marshal Corps, which will be deployed to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to secure the mining environment.

He said the persuasive measure involved formalising artisanal and illegal miners into cooperatives, which has resulted in more than 150 cooperatives being established.

In his goodwill message, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the unveiled portal was for the benefit of all Nigerians and urged prospective investors to use it to explore investment opportunities.

(NAN)