The Director-General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, has reaffirmed his commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector through stronger institutional collaboration.
In his continued drive to reform and sanitize the mining industry, Engr. Nkom on Thursday paid a courtesy visit to the Zonal Director of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ACE I Michael Wetkas, fwc, to deepen partnership between the two agencies.
The meeting centered on ways to foster robust cooperation in intelligence sharing, capacity building, and enforcement measures to combat economic and financial crimes within the sector. Engr. Nkom stressed that synergy with the EFCC was vital to ensuring a secure and compliant operating environment for mining stakeholders.
Wetkas, in his remarks, lauded the MCO for taking proactive steps toward accountability, saying: “For the DG of MCO to come to EFCC for further collaboration and to discuss openly shows the office encourages transparency in its operations. The solid minerals ministry is one of the ministries government should prioritize because of Nigeria’s vast mineral deposits, and EFCC is ready to work closely with MCO to create sanity in the system.”
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The visit also provided a platform for frank discussions, with staff granted the opportunity to ask critical questions, which Engr. Nkom addressed satisfactorily. To cement the collaboration, both agencies exchanged symbolic gifts, with the MCO presenting a plaque and polo shirt engraved “Wealth Away from Oil” to the EFCC Director.
The partnership builds on the MCO’s ongoing efforts to digitize mineral title administration, improve revenue generation, and eliminate corrupt practices in the sector. By aligning with the EFCC, the MCO seeks to strengthen good governance and restore confidence in Nigeria’s mining industry.
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