By Palma Ileye
Newly appointed Acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Mr. Zachaeus Adedeji has said the present administration was counting on the growth of the Solid Minerals sector to boost the economy.
This was disclosed in a press release issued yesterday by Alaba Balogun, Head, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Solid Minerals.
Speaking on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Oladele Alake yesterday in Abuja, Adedeji said the highest taxable limit was 18 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP and the country’s declining oil and gas sector contributes 78 percent.
He said this makes Solid Minerals the sector that could rescue the economy stating that the country’s solid minerals resource was now the toast of this administration.
“This is our next oil and that is why we are here. We are getting it right here. If we got it rightly, it means the future of Nigeria is secured. We are confident having Dr Oladele Alake as the Minister of Solid Minerals, half of our job is secured,” Adedeji stated.
Responding, Solid Minerals Minister Dr. Alake assured that Nigeria will achieve economic growth and prosperity again under the implementation of initiatives, policies and programmes that will revamp the economy for rapid socio-economic development as encapsulated in the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration.
Alake said that the vision and agenda of the present administration was strongly rooted on the avowed determination of Mr President to uplift the country, and improve the living standards of the citizenry.