The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the mining sector to address the menace of illegal mining, which is causing revenue losses to the country.
The call was made following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims at the plenary on Wednesday.
He said there is an urgent need for a focused intervention and radical measures to address the issues affecting the solid mineral sector and its underperformance.
He made reference to the NEITTI 2022 report which revealed that the mining sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 0.63% or N1.1 trillion.
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Halims said that illegal mining is costing the country $9 billion each year and has led to insecurity and conflicts over control of mining sites and their resources.
“As a result of the high spate of illegal mining and other criminal activities affecting host communities, governors of Taraba, Benue and Nasarawa states have signed executive orders banning illegal mining in their respective states to protect host communities and regulate mining activities in their respective states.
“The time is now for the federal government to take immediate and decisive actions to revitalize and develop this critical sector for the overall benefit of the Nigerian economy and its citizens.”
He urged the federal government to make a special intervention in the 2024 budget to provide for the establishment of minerals monitoring and inspection offices in all 109 senatorial districts of the country.
The House also called on the government to set up a special security task force to flush out all illegal miners. The government needs to take decisive action to address the problem of illegal mining, and the House’s call for a state of emergency is a step in the right direction.
The government should also implement the recommendations of the House, such as establishing minerals monitoring and inspection offices and setting up a special security task force.
By taking these steps, the government can help to revitalize the mining sector and ensure that Nigeria benefits from its mineral resources. (Source: Daily Trust)