The umbrella body of all mineral title holders in Nigeria – the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) – has called on the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Assembly to disregard the recommendation made by the Northern Governors Forum (NGF), which seeks a six-month ban on mining in the states of Northern Nigeria.
THE TRUTH recalls that in a recent proposal to the federal government, the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) encouraged the government to ban mining in the states of Northern Nigeria, citing security concerns as the motivation for the call.
But in a swift reaction, the apex body of miners on Sunday faulted the Northern Governors Forum.
In a statement entitled, “Mining and Insecurity: Call for Suspension of Mining Activities in Northern Nigeria Not The Solution,” jointly signed by its executive national president, Mr Dele Ayanleke, and the national secretary, Sulaiman Liman, the Miners Association faulted the NGF but acknowledged “the dire security situation” in the country.
Addressing the President and members of the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly in the statement, the Miners Association stated: “As a responsible Association of patriotic corporate and individual citizens, we present our views to Mr President, members of the Federal Executive Council and the Parliament for their objective consideration.”
While noting that insecurity is a national malaise that cuts across all sectors, the Association stated that the preponderance of criminal activities in rural areas—especially in agrarian and mining corridors—is coincidental with the remote locations of farming and mining sites, which are far from well-secured metropolises under the immediate oversight of security agencies.
The Association pointed out that “a nexus has not been established between legal mining and terrorism, banditry and kidnapping,” and noted that it is the disorderly illegal mining—conducted without licences, government regulation and control—that practises money laundering and fuels insecurity. According to the Association, a clear distinction must be made between legal and illegal mining, stating that stigmatising mining as the cause of insecurity is a misnomer.
“All our members are mineral title holders, and they engage in legal, responsible, and environmentally friendly mining operations,” the Association said, adding that legitimate miners work in synergy with security agencies to maintain security in their areas of operation, while also developing infrastructure in rural areas through the implementation of statutory Community Development Projects.
The Association further argued that its members contribute positively to the national economy, as their mineral products feed the raw material needs of local industries and are exported to earn foreign exchange that improves the country’s balance of trade.
The Association appealed to Northern Governors to avoid lumping legal mining with illegal mining, stating that placing a blanket ban on or suspending all mining activities in the Northern region would be most unjust and a serious disservice to legal miners and their employees. They warned that such a move would create mass unemployment, aggravate existing multi-dimensional poverty, and worsen insecurity.
He went on: “Going by antecedents, banning of mining activities in Nigeria as a solution to curbing insecurity has not yielded any positive result. For instance, in the year 2019, the government pronounced a ban on mining operations in Zamfara State. Unfortunately, the waves of banditry, kidnappings, terrorism and illegal mining have been escalating, not only in Zamfara State, but have spread widely to the adjoining neighbouring states of Katsina, Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi and others.
“It should also be registered that the victims of the ban on mining operations are the legitimate industry stakeholders that are denied access to their minefields by the overzealous security operatives; whereas, the illegal miners turned bandits and terrorists would be feeding fat, by helping themselves to the mineral resources under the active support of their local and foreign sponsors.
This situation is made possible by the government’s lack of adequate logistics and personnel to enforce the ban and ensure compliance with all regulatory frameworks.”
The Miners’ body contended that unfettered access by illegal miners to mineral resources in a banned mining location offers incentives and empowerment to criminals, as they exchange the minerals for arms and ammunition for use in their heinous activities.
The body also argued that the pronouncement of a ban on mining activities would result in huge losses of investments to the investing partners, “while our nation’s investment profile would suffer a loss of confidence in our credibility as a conducive investment destination.”
MAN noted that such a move would reverse the gains made by the present administration to attract foreign investors to the sector.
It said: “At his resumption into the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Henry Oladele Alake made it a point of duty to promote huge investments into the Nigerian Solid Minerals sector with a 7-Point Agenda aimed at removing all the bottlenecks to the growth and development of the sector and engages in global marketing of our national endowments to attract investments.
Therefore, the call by our Northern Governors and Elders to ban mining activities, at a time when the nation has started welcoming pockets of investments, is not only unfortunate, but highly unpatriotic.”
The Miners’ Association wondered if proper thought was deployed in making the suggestion, arguing that oil production was not banned when the industry was afflicted by insecurity.
“It is pertinent to mention here that there was never a call to ban petroleum exploration and exploitation when militancy was raging in Niger Delta oil-producing areas. Neither was any call made for the banning of any oil and gas operating licence, nor did the Governors and people of the Niger Delta Region suggest the idea of revalidating oil and gas operating licences.
“Instead, the Federal Government deployed homegrown solutions to douse the tension. Similarly, the FG raised Joint Task Forces (JTFs) to tackle illegal bunkering, which is the oil and gas industry version of illegal mining. All these are with the active support and facilitation of the Niger Delta states’ governments.”
The Miners’ body noted the efforts of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Henry Oladele Alake, to curb illegal mining and sanitise the Nigerian mining industry through the setting up of the Mining Marshals to combat illegal mining, conducting multiple clean-ups of the mining cadastre system, and revoking expired, inactive and defaulting mineral titles.
“We, therefore, call on our Northern States’ Governors to deploy substantial parts of their Security Votes, or even make special budgetary allocations, to support massive improvement in the logistical and human capacities of the Mining Marshal outfit, among other constitutionally expedient initiatives, as solutions to illegal mining which is a precursor to criminality.
“The call for revalidation of mining licences is akin to agitation for resource control and fundamentally against the letters and the spirit of our Constitution, which locates the control and management of mineral resources in the Exclusive Legislative List,” it said.
It concluded by declaring that, as the foremost industry Association in the Nigerian mining ecosystem, it has rejected the call for the banning of mining activities in any part of the country.
It called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Executive Council and the National Assembly to outrightly reject this call, as the negatives of such action overwhelmingly outweigh the positives.
