The Nigerian government on Wednesday said it will revitalize the mining sector, properly regulate it and introduce ways by which more jobs can be created.

Minister of Solid Minerals Kayode Fayemi told reporters in the northwestern state of Kaduna that the government has realized the huge revenue potentials of its mining sector and will do all within its powers to tap from it.

The minister disclosed that no fewer than five million people were currently engaged in informal mining activities in the West African country, saying the government's initial reaction was to criminalize all the illegal mining activities, but on a second thought realized that the miners were not getting the full benefits of their labor.

He said solid minerals is one key sector of the Nigerian economy in which the national and provincial governments must work closely to further attract investors.

"We will organize the miners into cooperatives, empower them to capacity and give them access to finance to ensure they make returns to their state," he said.

Fayemi said the government has already developed a roadmap on exploration and data collation of natural resources in the country, to determine the location, quantity and viability of deposits.

(China-Africa Cooperation Net May 12, 2016)