Unexploited and Neglected Minerals and Resource in Wajir county- time to utilize , explore and improve socioeconomic status of our people

 Wajir county a landmass with huge potential opportunities, a region that heavenly blessed with resources - A land is said to be fertile, enrich with minerals,as the geology survey carried by international companies in late 1970s and late 80s Wajir is believed it has enough minerals not forgetting the region is closer to Somalia border - linking the two isolated uplifted Neoproterozoic and Cambrian complexes  Criss crossing to the west of Mogadishu in the Bur area and in northern Somalia paralleling the Gulf of Aden which sometimes is associate with the gradual formation of underground minerals.

in 1976 A Canadian company did a feasibility on oil explorations in Arbajahan Wajir west,in their report it has illustrated that there is enough crude oil in the area- it said that if those underground Wells with crude oil is drilled most parts of North Africa states that today produces oil it will dry up why because all the oil will flow directly to Arbajahan underground tunnels.

The iron, metal in Shanta-abaq, the coal in Elnur (enough coal production it can produce millions of tones)Garseyqoftu, Griftu ,Buna,Kutulo, khorof Harar, Laqboqol,some part of Wajir south and Wajir North this area is enrich with minerals.

Wajir county can be gateway to industrialization and tourism destination- with establishment of many factories for example cement, coal, iron, leather (Buna ),gum and resins imagine Wajir is second best producing region after Sudan - gun and resins is available with different ingredients in it .

our local " lubathin" malmal can be used to make scent of perfumes and insecticide sprays (drugs). many tress in our region has all medicinal package- it can treat various diseases .Also can be used as juice making flavour the likes of " KAMASH' XANSHALA' they are alot of indigenous trees - we must protect before it goes extinction, already some trees are nowhere to be traced.

undoubtedly, Historically(today), mineral exploration in Wajir has been sporadic and insufficient before and after the country's independence- with lack or limited geological surveys conducted during the colonial era and the early 1970s. As per our grandfather's anecdote they said white settlers did survey which unveiled the presence of a diverse range of metallic and non-metallic mineral deposits across Wajir county some of the metallic minerals that can be discovered are metal, iron ,oil coal hematite, ilmenite, galena, pyrite, arsenopyrite, magnetite, sphalerite, along with deposits of copper, zinc, tin, chromium and some gold within the Precambrian basements of  Wajir.

Since 1995, when Jeffrey Sachs and Andrew Warner published their influential study claiming that natural resource abundance has a strong negative impact on growth, the term “resource curse” has been associated with mineral wealth in developing countries.  Their study has been challenged by Lederman and Maloney (2007), who found natural resource abundance to have a positive effect on growth, and by Goderis and Collier (2007), who found that high oil and mineral prices mostly have a negative impact on long-term growth only in exporting countries with bad governance.  A new World Bank study puts natural resource curse theory under scrutiny once again.

 Nevertheless, the mining sector in Wajir faces significant challenges - with no political will to call for mineral exploration.

Security issues persist there is a paucity of knowledge regarding of the existence of mineral resources in the county,the government should embark on comprehensive exploration and extraction efforts to unlock this hidden economic reserve- The extraction minerals will significantly contribute to the country's economic growth and long-term sustainability.

we don't have leaders who honestly think beyond the box to set up a good example in ensuring or lobbying for our minerals/resources to be utilized - too much tribal politics seal off our dreams,if the government of day could have look for partnership or joint international companies to explore this untapped mineral so that the people's lives either economically or socially could been changed.

Extractives specialists Gary McMahon and Susana Moreira find that many, indeed most, of the world’s fastest-growing countries since 2000 have been resource-rich.  Their paper, The Contribution of the Mining Sector to Socioeconomic and Human Development, shows that low and middle-income mining countries grew by over one percent annually faster than similar non-mining countries from 2001 to 2011.

so in our county we can change the narrative that we are poor, with our resources in place many loopholes can be filled, that can be achieved if we have leaders/government that can diligently serve it's people - putting aside the political blackmail, tribal and  ethiniced execution - through join commitment by both arms of government.

Strengthening partnerships with the private sector, financial institutions, researchers and academic community in developing centers of excellence for natural capital harnessing.

Ensuring that the status of natural capital in national planning and financing is elevated to that of strategic national resources, is managed and used in that context in order to secure its sustainability and contribution to economic development and environmental stability.

No iota if we well-manage  our mining sector can fuel economic development-The global commodity sector is continuously seeking new frontiers to meet growing demand, and Wajir could be a valuable player in this arena- for that dream be achieved a robust governance be inked which is committed to transparency and  formation of strong institutions. if that is done we believe then the mining sector can shift from a leeway of an opportunity to a threat or even from a blessing to a curse. A sobering example is the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo where mining opportunities have led to conflicts, corruption, human rights abuses, and illegal exploitation, leaving the nation impoverished.

The potential for Wajir resources especially minerals wealth is undeniable, but the ways to utilize our untapped resources needs more than political Will,a collective engagement to all stakeholders to ensure Wajir people are out from the shackles of poverty.

God bless Wajir county, I wish you happy New year