By Martha Agas
The Zamfara Professionals League has commended President Bola Tinubu for reappointing Hajiya Fatimah Shinkafi as the Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) for another term.
The group lauded the President’s decision on Sunday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Presidential Media Aide, Bayo Onanuga, announced on Friday that President Bola Tinubu has approved the renewal of Hajiya Fatimah Shinkafi’s appointment.
The renewal is for her position as Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) and the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (PAGMI).
Yunana Shibkau, President of the Zamfara Professionals League, stated that the reappointment would provide stability for the fund to execute its projects.
He highlighted the successful execution of new projects, such as the Gold Aggregator Scheme, which had yielded billions of Naira worth of gold reserves for the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Shibkau also noted that the extension would position the young financial institution for sustained growth.
He recalled the SMDF’s initiative to partner with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) to provide funding for early-stage mineral development projects.
The project, which attracted 94 applicants in its first year, currently had 14 candidates in the second stage competing for the funds.
Shibkau emphasised SMDF’s intervention in projects across the country, bridging the gap left by the absence of junior miners.
He commended Shinkafi’s performance, citing it as proof that professionals of Northern origin could excel in the financial sector.
Shibkau noted that President Tinubu’s decision was in accordance with the law, as the Nigerian Mining and Minerals Act did not set a limit on the tenure of the Executive Secretary.
“It is our position that handing the SMDF over to an inexperienced person would be disastrous.
“They would lack the institutional knowledge that helped the SMDF grow.
“This would disrupt the current administration’s groundbreaking initiatives and cause them to lose focus on building a financial agency that ensures returns on investment,” he said.
