Emmanuel Katto Says Uganda's Mining Resources Are Its Development Pillar.

Globally, mining is a common industry that frequently takes place in undeveloped, fragile, and rural areas, including many indigenous lands and territories. According to local Ugandan Journalist Emmanuel Katto, when correctly managed, it can create jobs, encourage innovation, and attract significant amounts of investment and infrastructure. If mining is not managed effectively, it may also bring about environmental degradation, population displacement, inequality, and growing violence.

Emka aka Emmanuel Katto asserted that the artisanal miners of small and medium-sized firms, which make up the majority of the Development Minerals sector, are socioeconomically disadvantaged as a result of the COVID 19 Pandemic's unprecedented business disruptions and shocks. 

• By 2003/2004, it has provided Uganda with foreign cash through the shipment of minerals like copper. Further progress has been made using the exchange obtained.

• Ugandans now have career options, says Emka Uganda, thanks to the mining industry. More than 15,000 people are said to be employed in the sector now, up from thousands in the 1970s when the Kirembe copper mine employed Bakiga and Bakonjo in order to raise their level of living.

• For example, Kasese, Kirembe, and Katwe towns arose as a result of the copper and salt mining in Uganda, which enables urbanisation. Additionally, the development of Masindi and Hoima owing to oil extraction, as well as the settlements of Tororo and Hima from the mining of limestone.

• The sector contributes to the creation of vital transportation, energy, educational, and healthcare infrastructure. Due to the efforts of Kirembe Mines Secondary School in Kasese and the Jinja-Kampala-Kasese railway line for the transportation of copper, asserts Emmanuel Katto, Uganda will continue to flourish.

• The establishment of the mubuku irrigation project in Kasese to create a steady supply of food for the Kirembe mine employees is explained by the fact that the mining sector serves as a market for agricultural goods of food to feed the mine workers.

• It has prevented overdependence on the agriculture sector and contributed to the economic diversification of Uganda. This denotes a growth in the country’s income, foreign exchange, and overall development.

• It has enhanced Uganda’s connections with countries that import minerals, like China and the USA says Emka. Political stability and increased trade between nations have resulted from this.

• By granting mining corporations licenses and charging miners, the mining business has brought in a sizable sum of money for the government coffers. The money raised has been utilized to open schools and medical facilities.

• It has caused Uganda to become more industrialized, with businesses like Hima and Tororo cement using limestone as a raw material.

• By luring international visitors to Uganda to buy copper, iron ore, salt, and other commodities, says Emmanuel Katto mining has bolstered the country’s tourism industry and generated foreign cash.

Mining- Resources of African countries.

Africa is rich in natural resources, which is a resource-rich continent. A local journalist from Uganda Emmanuel Katto also known as Emmanuel Katto Uganda or Emka Uganda. He gives me more insight into Africa regarding the resources. 

Africa is incredibly rich in natural resources. It contains a natural gas reserve of gas and oil which is 10% of the world’s total oil reserve. 

 

It has a vast reserve for minerals such as gold, diamonds, platinum, copper, iron ore and uranium. As said that this continent is a significant producer of oil and natural gas unlike Nigeria, Angola and Algeria which are the leading producers of the same. 

 

According to recent reports around 200 million hectares of land in the sub-Saharan region comprises uncultivated lands that can be put to use which will boost the economy of Africa in production. 

This continent is also home to vast timber production due to its forest area, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Cameroon and Gabon are leading in timber production. Botswana is home to gem diamond, which is a local producer in Africa, that focus on export and is one of the largest suppliers of diamonds its competitor is Angola but the quality of diamond from Botswana is rare and hard to find. 

Tanzania is the fourth richest country in Africa that produces around 10% of Africa’s total gold. Tanzanite mineral is also found in Tanzania which adds up to 58 billion dollars in the country’s economy. 

 

Nigeria is the biggest producer of oil producers in the world which is in Africa. Natural resources such as natural gas, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, zinc etc. are found in Nigeria. Nigeria contributes around 10% to the country’s GDP. 

 

Angola, a country in Africa is the richest country in the world in terms of natural resources, reserves of petroleum, diamond, copper, gold and magnesium. According to the reports around 1.5 barrels of oil is produced in a day in Angola. Research also shows that Angola’s economy is one of the largest growing economies in the world. 

 

As we have seen that Africa has a tremendous mineral reserve, but despite having so much of possibilities and being rich in resources, the people are poor here. Due to the government system, terror and political instability the country’s development is hindered. There is a need to build collaborative support from government and other international bodies along with community engagement to stabilize the normal condition in Africa concerning terror, political instability and other factors so that there will be no barrier on Africa’s way to development.