Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed the commitment of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to unlocking the socio-economic potentials of Nigeria’s geo-heritage sites.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the delegation of the UNESCO International Geoscience and Geoparks Programme (IGGP) Nigeria National Committee (NNC) led by its chairman, Dr Aminu Abdullahi Isyaku, the Vice President stressed that the federal government’s doors are open for collaboration with relevant stakeholders, particularly the subnational governments.
Senator Shettima said it was “better late than never” to explore the economic and developmental benefits of geo-heritage sites for the progress of the nation. He added that the Tinubu administration is already repositioning Nigeria across critical areas.
“We have changed the narrative in all spheres of our national life whether social, economic, cultural, sports, agriculture, education, international diplomacy,” he stated.
The Vice President commended the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency and the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for their efforts in preserving Nigeria’s geo-heritage sites.
“I want to acknowledge the UNESCO IGGP’s alignment with our Renewed Hope Agenda and also recognise your committee’s objective in promoting sustainable geo-science development themes under climate change, hydro-geology, geo-hazards, geo-dynamics and geo-heritage,” Shettima said.
He encouraged the IGGP team to expand its geoscience coverage across Nigeria’s geo-political zones, assuring them of continuous support for the committee’s activities.
“There are a lot of economic and development benefits of geo-heritage – jobs, sustainable tourism and of course, peace in host communities and international research funding. This country is a blessed country, hence, all hands must be on deck to make it work. I urge you to come on board, let us work as a team to reposition this country,” he added.
Earlier in his remarks, Dr Isyaku appealed for federal government support in achieving the committee’s mission of developing a comprehensive inventory of Nigeria’s geo-heritage sites, mapping all heritage sites, and completing ongoing geo-science projects nationwide.
He highlighted that the establishment of a national committee for Nigeria, five decades after the creation of the global body, had placed the country within the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) framework.
According to him, the committee is aligning with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by working towards climate resilience and raising public awareness on the importance of geosciences.
Also present at the meeting were the Director General of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and Secretary of UNESCO IGGP NNC, Prof. Olusegun Ige; the President of the Geological Society of Nigeria, Uba Saidu Malami; the Secretary General of NATCOM UNESCO, Dr Olagunju Lateef; the Director of the National Geoscience Information Centre, Mrs Grace Okpala; Co-Founder of DigGeoNaija, Dr Ganiyu Mosuro; and Deputy Director in the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Mr Ishaku Muhd Ganu, among others.