Online Applications For Mineral Titles In Nigeria Hit 40% With eMC+

By Lateef Taiwo

The director general, DG, Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, NMCO, Engr Simon O. Nkom has disclosed that the number of applications for mineral titles received in his office has been on the increase since the launch its new online technology tagged electronic Mining Cadastre system, eMC+, in November last year.

Engr Nkom made this known while speaking to journalists at a One-Day Review for Development (R4D) Retreat, organised by the MCO for its staff, yesterday, with the theme: “Repositioning MCO Through Attitude Transformation for Improved Productivity”.

He noted that 40% of the applications received in his office since the online technology was introduced for real time management and administration of mineral titles were online.

The MCO boss said his team continued to monitor the new technology following the migration to online system to see how many people have keyed into it, and it was discovered the number of online applicants was on the increase.

According to him, the whole essence of the retreat was to train the staff on how to handle the operations of the new technology effectively to take the management and administration of mineral titles to a higher level.

He said, “The essence of today, just like the theme captures it, is to reposition the entire mining cadastre to meet up with current challenges. We have a new system that all of you are witnesses to, which is the eMC plus; we have to be able to adapt to it.

“We have to be able to now review our system; we have to do a rethink and be able to now look forward into the coming years. We know where we are coming from. We know where we are, I we have to be able to now know where we are going. In view of that, there is a need for the staff to be able to now be retreat. When you retreat it you make it work better. And that is the essence of this retreat.”

On how the system will help in curbing illegal mining in the country, the DG who said his agency is not primarily responsible for such, however noted that some people indulge in the illicit mining business because of difficulty and delay in processing applications, hence get that done real time with the new technology will discourage them from indulging in illegal mining.

Delivering a paper titled, “Ensuring Corrupt free Organisation for excellent Service Delivery” on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ahmad Saad Abubakar, Director, Internal Affairs, advised that going by the prevalent cases of corruptions that have defied government’s policies and measures in the past, the new technology should be put to optimal use due to its potentials to create a crime-free environment.

“Therefore, it is necessary to make full use of the electronic Mining Cadastre System (eMC+), which has the potential to create an environment free of corruption, increase the ease of doing business by reducing the number of human contacts, and increase in effectiveness, transparency, and accountability,” he said.

From the stable of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Tribunal, ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, presented a paper titled: “Entrenching Good Work Ethic and Integrity for Excellent Serbice Delivery”, in which the staff were urged to adhere strictly to ethics and integrity in the public service for national development.