A Truly Honourable Man At 69!

TEMITOPE AJAYI 

When his name appeared on the list of ministerial nominees, the natural assumption was that he would head the Ministry of Information. That assumption was not misplaced.

Mr. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals, is an outstanding journalist, a renowned editor as well as a public and political communication czar. He excelled in his previous roles as Editor of National Concord Newspaper and as Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State, where he served with distinction for eight years.

During the nerve-racking and energy-sapping 2023 presidential campaign that brought President Bola Tinubu to power, Alake was the intellectual pugilist who flipped the narrative. He changed the temper, tempo and tone of the campaign and sent the opposition armada into disarray.

Two years ago, the solid minerals sector was uncharted territory for him. Yet in two years, he has proved bookmakers and sceptics wrong. As Minister, Mr. Alake has demonstrated immense capacity as a public administrator and an astute manager. Armed with a clear roadmap, he has revived a once dormant sector and made it one of the fastest-growing components of the economy. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in the last quarter GDP report, the mining and quarrying sector grew by 4.61 percent on his watch, while quarrying and other minerals recorded the highest growth rate among all sub-activities at 50.41 percent, followed by coal mining at 32.59 percent.

At the last count, over one billion dollars in investments had flowed into heavy processing factories under his leadership. His reforms made value addition a key requirement in the licensing regime, ending the old practice of exporting Nigeria’s precious minerals straight from the pit to the port. Through the Mining Marshal, a special security arrangement, he has also tackled the age-long security challenges that once cast a shadow over the sector.

Beyond the call of duty, every moment spent with Alake is rich with lessons in character, history and integrity. His moral antenna is sharp and to stay close to him, one’s garment must be cut from the same wool. With him, there is no anyhowness.

Ministers are not honourable merely by appointment. The title should be earned through service. By the evidence of his performance, Mr. Alake stands as one man who truly deserves to be called Honourable.

Happy 69th birthday to the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals.