Currently,the government emphasis on exploring and exploiting mineral resources. The expansion of higher education to train highly skilled manpower for the study of mineral resources can be mentioned in this regard.

 

In addition to this, the development of roads and airports is expected to support the endeavour, which targets the extraction of natural resource in a sustainable manner.

 

According to studies, Ethiopia, for long, has been devoting efforts for the exploration and harnessing of mineral resources, where alluvial and sedimentary rocks are found abundantly. In this venture, so far, many foreign companies have been involved and a ray of hope is flickering.

 

The recent study of Ministry of Mine also indicates that,the diverse geology of the country provides a wide range of minerals and geo-energy potential in the country. The exploration and assessment task was carried out for several years both by the Ethiopian Geological Survey and private companies.

 

The mineral and petroleum exploration activities conducted so far on limited parts of the country from different corners have come up with significant discoveries and reserves of gold,platinum,phosphorus, iron,salt, potash,gemstones,coal,geothermal,natural gas,industrial and construction minerals.

 

The mining sector, though not fully exploited, has a great role in transforming the nation's economy through diversification. The Government in its GTP II plan has attached spcial attention for the expansion of the manufacturing sector which can also be supported by mineral exploration.

 

The sector can attract interested foreign investors with capital, technology and knowledge. It as well can add value in the whole economy. In addition it can create a value chain with firms, which utilize minerals as input. This in turn facilitates job creation. It also serves as import substitution to many manufactured goods being imported and which in one way or another are the products of minerals.

 

Hence, this regard, it can save the nation hard currency, the nation expends for footing the import bills.To put it simple, currently the nation spends million of dollar only for the importation of iron and steel which is utilized for construction purpose. The availability of iron in the country also plays a crucial role in advancing the expansion of industrialization.

 

For almost all industries iron and steel are an integral part of daily activities starting from construction to the day to day production. Hence, exploiting iron from local sources mean supplying the item cheaply in the local market.

 

The significance of iron is not confined to the aforementioned aspects, it can also be supplied to the foreign market and with that the nation's foreign currency earning capacity will beef up.

 

Also the exploration of potash in abundant quantity can miraculously spur the nation's green revolution.

 

As it is known,currently populous nations like China have managed to achieve food security. But without the utilization of agricultural inputs such as fertilizer such achievement is unthinkable. And in this regard, potash is one of the most valuable element of fertilizer. For the last decade the nation's economy had scored a double digit growth. In this regard, the contribution of agriculture is higher and the secret behind the sector's growth is the utilization of agricultural inputs and part of it is fertilizer, which is made up of potash.

 

But the utilization of fertilizer in small scale farms is still insignificant. Hence,the utilization of it should be stepped up. Modernizing small scale farms and increasing productivity without utilizing the necessary inputs are unthinkable. Thus for the realization of agricultural transformation, the government has to take as an opportunity the exploitation of potash which is abundantly found in our country.

 

On the other hand, currently the nation spends huge amount of dollar for the importation of fertilizer. This badly needed money can be channeled towards development ventures by producing fertilizers locally. So we should run fast to harness the resource which is available at hand.

 

The exploration of coal,geothermal and natural gases also greatly change the nation's energy landscape. By now almost 80 per cent of the population heavily depend on biomass for household energy and such practice highly compromise the vegetation cover and the natural resources. Due to deforestation, soil erosion is aggravated. This in turn creates the accumulation of silt in water reservoirs negatively affecting the capacity of power generation of dams. The smoke being released from biomass utilization cause in house and environmental pollution. Further more, it creates health hazards. It also causes the rise of child mortality rate.

 

The importation of petrochemical based energy such as benzine,gasoline and kerosene runs against our green growth development plan. Thus by exploiting locally found renewable energy sources such as geothermal and natural gas,in addition to easing energy deficit it can help realize climate resilience green economy.

 

Energy can serve both as an input for industries and household energy and as a means of generating income by supplying to domestic and international market.

 

The on going economic development, which is on the way to be led by the manufacturing sector, is rigorously consuming energy. The exploitation of our mineral resources will afford us best opportunities.

 

So far the exploitation of geothermal energy in Alluto Langano, which is being undertaken by American investment group and expected to generate 1,000 MW indicates the capacity of the mining sector in attracting foreign investment.

 

Hence we can certainly speak that the exploration and exploitation of mineral and energy resource immensely enhance the transformation of the whole economic sector and to that end all stakeholders must show their cooperative gestures to the government's plan of achieving the intended goal.

 

Source : allafrica.com