By Aliyu DANLADI
The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) and China Miners Association (CMA) have reached an agreement to strengthen the existing bilateral economic relationship between the two bodies.
The President of MAN, Alhaji Sani Shehu, made this known on Sunday in Abuja.
Shehu said the association and the CMA reached the agreement at the recent Mines and Money Conference held in London.
He said that the two associations drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on ways to strengthen the existing bilateral relationship to promote solid minerals trade between both countries.
According to him, some of the issues captured in the agreement are: to prevent a situation whereby members of MAN find it difficult to receive their payment after supplying minerals in China.
He said other issues captured in the agreement were the need to curtail Chinese mining investors falling into the hands of fraudsters in Nigeria and to also share knowledge on exploration, among others.
“Some Chinese mining investors fell into the hands of fraudsters in Nigeria in the years past, while some of our members supplied minerals to some Chinese nationals and they were not paid.
“MAN thought that the way out is for the two associations to come up with an MoU to address these challenges and to also boost our minerals’ trades.
“On the draft MoU, MAN agreed to assist Chinese mining investors that want to invest in Nigeria with necessary documentation while we source for minerals for Chinese nationals that want to buy minerals,’’ Shehu said.
He said that MAN and CMA had several discussions and inputs on the draft MoU before other aspects were added to the agreement in London.
“The agreement is currently a draft (MoU). Hopefully, a MAN delegation will be going to China by April 2019 to sign the MoU, ‘’ Shehu said.
