Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Dr Dele Alake, has warned Nigerians to desist from illegal mining activities that are detrimental to their lives, environment and economy. This warning is coming on the heels of the of the collapse of an illegal mining site in Adamawa at Gashaka-Gunti National Park, Alake also expressed pain over the menace, therefore, called on stakeholders in the solid mineral sector to jointly tackle it in order to prevent such occurrence, which he said stronger collaboration between the stakeholders in the sector and the National Parks Service to combat illegal mining and curb incidents of mines collapse is needed. According to a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister, Segun Tomori, he (Alake) urged those who are involved in the illicit business to organize themselves into recognised cooperatives and approach the Ministry to facilitate licences and permits to operate legally.
However, the Minister pointed out based on technical reports from field inspection that lack of professional skills in mines development by artisanal miners who engage in illegal mining were responsible for the pits collapse. The Minister was reacting to the news of the pit collapse during illegal mining operations in the Gashaka-Gunti National Park, an incident which the Ministry was monitoring through the Federal Mines Officers in Taraba and Adamawa States, which he said to forestall a recurrence, local government authorities need to pay more attention to illegal mining activities within their areas and work with the State Offices of the Ministry to align with the early warning systems put in place to combat the menace of illegal mining. He also said the Ministry is sponsoring radio programmes on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and the Voice of Nigeria to educate Nigerians on the dangers of illegal mining and the need to join co-operatives to benefit from the ministry’s training and empowerment programmes.
Noting that the programmes are translated to nine Nigerian languages to target artisanal miners who are mostly non-English speakers. He also said the Ministry’s Artisanal Department is planning more engagement programmes to deepen the confidence between artisanal miners and the government. However, the Minister stressed and quoted the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act and extant regulations, saying they outlaw mineral exploration in the national parks based on the dangers such activities pose to the virgin forests, plants, and the wildlife preserved by the Federal Government. He recalled that the Ministry and the management of the National Parks Service have discussed the terms of collaboration to stop mining in the parks, therefore, he called on the officers of the National Parks Service to report any case of mineral extraction to the nearest Federal Mines Officer for immediate action.
FG warns Nigerians to desist from illegal mining as Adamawa mining pit collapses
