Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on Nigerian authorities to implement stricter regulations on illegal mining, aiming to prevent further tragedies like the recent collapse of a mining pit in the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, which left around 30 miners presumed dead. CAPPA highlighted the grave risks facing impoverished locals who engage in unsafe, unregulated mining activities often driven by both local and foreign—primarily Chinese—interests. These miners, including vulnerable groups like women and children, frequently operate with inadequate safety measures, creating dangerous conditions for themselves and the surrounding communities as environmental degradation worsens and open pits are left behind.
CAPPA criticised regulatory bodies such as the Mines Surveillance Task Team for failing to curb illegal mining, asserting that weak enforcement endangers lives and resources. With global demand for minerals rising to support a “green transition,” CAPPA warned that mineral-rich communities in Nigeria will face ongoing exploitation unless they gain a fair share of wealth extracted from their lands. They stressed the importance of addressing the economic conditions that compel people into dangerous mining activities, pointing out that systemic poverty drives locals towards these high-risk options.
The organisation urged Nigerian policymakers to reduce licensing fees, streamline application processes, and offer technical support to make legal mining pathways more accessible to small-scale miners and local communities. CAPPA also called for corporate accountability, pressing for strict oversight of mining corporations and recommending penalties, including licence revocations, to deter violations of human rights and environmental laws.
CAPPA emphasised that government interventions at mining sites should respect community rights, warning that using force only escalates tension and resistance. They urged authorities to protect communities affected by resource extraction and to prioritise regulations that ensure both safety and fair economic distribution for those involved in and impacted by the mining sector.
