International Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sciences, Nsukka Vol. 10, Nos. 1 &2 2017 194 RE-INVENTING AND RE-ENGINEERING MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRIES: A PANACEA TO THE DILEMMA OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA Solomon B. ADEKUNLE, & Fidelis Moses ALOKPA Department of Government and Public Administration, Baze University, Abuja & ADESINA, A. Maruff Department of Political Science & International Relations, University of Abuja, Abuja E-mail: Adesinamaruff85@gmail.com GSM: +2347036802116 Abstract Nigeria is richly endowed with vast but untapped natural resources which include solid minerals. Mining industries have been viewed as key driver of economic growth and development process, and as the lead sector which drives economic expansion to higher levels of social and economic well-being. Contribution from mining and quarry industries to Nigeria's GDP is still very low at 0.5 percent compared to other countries like Ghana, Botswana and Indonesia which are usually between 2-8 percent. One of the major factors responsible for this is the over dependence on the proceeds from the sale of crude oil. Consequently, this is done at the expense of other sectors such as solid mineral, agriculture etc. It is against this background that this study is focused on examining how this sector could be re-engineered and reinvented in order to address the dilemma of economic development in the country. In the light of this, this paper employed the ex-post factor design as its methodology as well as structural functionalist theory as its framework for analysis. Findings from the study reveal that mining' and quarry industries have contributed to the growth and economic development of Nigeria. The paper concludes that the contributions of this sector is marginal owing to certain myriad of problems that beset the sectors such as inadequate funding, poor policy implementation, legal debacle, problem of skilled personnel, etc. Above all, the paper maintains that, mining and quarry industries can be rejuvenated to serve as means of economic diversification. Introduction Nigeria is no doubt a middle-income emerging market economy with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) based on purchasing power parity (PPP) valuation of US $401 539 million in 2011, GDP per capital of $2471 and annual GDP growth rate of 7.5 percent (OECD, 2012). It is ranked 30 th economy in the world and its currently underperforming manufacturing sector is said to be the third-largest on the continent, producing a large proportion of goods and services for the West African region. It is the world's eighth largest exporter of oil and Africa's second largest economy, after South Africa. With its large population estimated to be over 170 million people, Nigeria accounts for 15 per cent of Africa's population and contributes 11 percent of Africa's total output and 16 percent of its foreign reserves (Oteh, 2009). For too long, the economy has been dependent only on one economic activity (oil), at the detriment of other sectors of the economy like mining, quarry, manufacturing, etc. (Afolabi, 1991). Nigeria is richly endowed with vast natural resources that are widely distributed across the country. Among these resources are solid minerals, petroleum and natural gas. About fifty solid minerals have been discovered in five hundred locations in the country (Madueke, 2009). Consequently, mining is practically done in all the states of the federation. Mining industries have been viewed as key drivers of economic growth and as key component that drive economic expansion which can lead to higher levels of social and economic well-being. The decline of solid minerals industry in Nigeria started with the discovery of crude oil. Consequently, Nigeria became a mono-product economy which makes it vulnerable to intentional oil politics and its repercussion, no doubt, led to the neglect of these huge economic potential. This made Nigeria to experience the "Dutch disease'