The Niger State government has inaugurated a taskforce to tackle illegal mining activities within the state. Deputy Governor of Niger State, Yakubu Garba, announced the establishment of the taskforce in Minna on Monday, along with the conditional lifting of the ban on illegal mining in the region.
Garba outlined the primary responsibilities of the taskforce, which include monitoring and identifying illegal mining sites, reporting child labour at these sites, and ensuring compliance with the executive order suspending illegal mining. The taskforce will also be responsible for profiling mining companies and monitoring security challenges in mining communities.
The committee will be co-chaired by Alhaji Sabon Yahaya, the Niger State Commissioner for Mineral Resources, with Alhaji Mohammed Yunusa, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, serving as the secretary. Other members include the Commissioner for Homeland Security, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of DSS, the Commandant of NSCDC, as well as representatives from the 25 local government councils, eight emirates, and the state assembly.
The taskforce will also be tasked with identifying companies that fail to pay revenue and royalties to the state, assessing the types of mineral titles held by companies, and ensuring adherence to existing mining laws.
Garba noted that out of 578 registered mining companies and 302 mining cooperative societies in Niger State, only 261 have been profiled by the Ministry of Mineral Resources. The acting governor emphasised that proper profiling of these entities is crucial for attracting local and foreign investment through a comprehensive mineral resources database.
Additionally, he suggested that the persistent attacks on communities may not only be due to farmer-herder conflicts but could also be linked to the presence of valuable mineral resources in those areas.
In response, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, the Chairman of the taskforce and Secretary to the Niger State Government, expressed gratitude to the governor for the opportunity to serve and committed to carrying out the task diligently.
