Curbing illegal mining operations

It is sad that Nigeria lost trillions of naira to illegal mining operators in some parts of the country. The government should be gracious enough to reveal the actual amount lost to illegal mining in recent times. Unfortunately, illegal mining operations have continued to thrive in many states despite the ban by the Federal Government. There is also an inseparable link between illegal mining operations and the festering insecurity in the North-West region, where the nefarious business thrives.

Since illegal mining has seemingly been fueling insecurity in the North-West, the Federal Government should ensure security in the region. It must also use the same energy deployed in fighting oil thieves to fight illegal miners. We say so because all of them are economic saboteurs. The government should not bare its fangs only when it comes to oil and appear weak when it is illegal mining. The Federal Government should stop the lamentation over illegal mining and muster the political will to apprehend and prosecute those denying the government of trillions of naira in revenue annually.

It is good that the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, is aware of the problems and how best to tackle them. The unregulated mining sector will only make the economy to bleed further if nothing is done urgently to fully regulate it. The government has so much procrastinated over the full regulation of the mining sector. It should wake up from its deep slumber before the economy loses more from illegal mining. Instructively, the government has recently approved N2.5 billion for the procurement of the integrated solution framework to combat the thriving illegal business.

We call for its adequate implementation. Although mineral resources are exclusively under the purview of the Federal Government, some states have continued to exert some influence over mining activities probably because of our lopsided federation and lack of fidelity to due process when a section of the country is affected. It is time to govern Nigeria based on the rule of law and due process.

The government should be bold in regulating the mining sector. If it wants the states to participate in it, let it say so. If the states are allowed to participate in the mining sector, it should also apply to other minerals in the country. Let the governors of the mining states exploit the opportunity offered by the government’s Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs). The SPVs are state-owned companies that can apply for mining licences. At the same time, the government should also extend this policy to states in the oil gas sector as well.

Not quite long ago, the governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states, under the auspices of the North East Governors Forum, had noted that the proliferation of illegal miners in the region was a big problem and vowed to deal with it. However, the problem has not been resolved. There are even reports that illegal mining has continued unabated in the region. Some of the minerals exploited by illegal miners include gold, copper, lithium, aluminium, monozide and iron. Reports claim that 80 per cent of mining in the North-West region is carried out illegally, even with the Federal Government’s ban on artisanal mining in Zamfara State which has significant deposits of gold.

Last year, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals, Jonathan Gbefwi, disclosed that illegal mining activities in Nigeria cost the country about $9billion annually. Although the figure might be conservative, it is a huge drain on the economy. Unregulated mining is a clear and present danger to the economy. In spite of the activities of illegal miners, the Federal Government has not done much to tackle the menace.

It is not in doubt that powerful members of the society and their foreign partners are behind illegal mining operations. It is also possible that the government knows them. Therefore, it behooves on the government to rein in those behind illegal mining. Lamentations alone will never solve the problem. The exploitation of the solid minerals sector is one of the surest ways to truly diversify the economy. The government cannot continue to solely depend on oil and gas alone to meet its financial obligations.

With the fluctuation in the prices of crude oil in the international market, the solid minerals should be harnessed effectively to boost the economy. There is need to regulate the sector and ensure transparency in mining operations. Government should come out with a blueprint in the sector. The Federal Government must ensure biometric data capture of registered artisanal and small-scale miners. Doing so will curb illegal mining.

The recent disclosure by the minister that the government will deploy satellite technology to monitor key mining sites and track their activities across the country is commendable. It is also encouraging that the government has arrested and prosecuted four foreigners engaged in illegal mining operations. Let the government also prosecute the 320 people who were arrested recently by Mining Marshals.