Over 90 Civil Society Organisations have called on the federal government of Nigeria to tackle the rising displacement of host communities caused by the activities of miners.
This is coming at the end of its 2024 multi-stakeholders forum on enhancing inclusiveness and addressing inequalities in Nigeria’s mining sector. The group disclosed that the forum is focused on enhancing transparency, fiscal justice, and reducing energy poverty in order to address inequalities in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
The over 100 CSOs which included We The People, Rebuilders Foundation, Ford Foundation, Global Rights, Policy Alert resolved that all stakeholders including host communities, civil society organisations, industries, and regulators should synergise with lawmakers to ensure reforms of laws and regulations on solid minerals to guarantee equitable resource governance.
All stakeholders including regulators, lawmakers, CSOs and the organised private sector must commit to driving holistic inclusion in the efforts to improve fiscal transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s mining sector.
Organised by Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Minerals and Global Rights, with support from FORD FOUNDATION and the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), the Groups expressed concerns over the paucity of data among Mining Host communities and regulatory frameworks that govern mining operations in Nigeria.
They also stated that the regulations governing the mining sector are mostly too technical, making them difficult for members of mining host communities to comprehend. Moreover, despite improvements in solid minerals’ contribution to Nigeria’s GDP (from 0.26% in 2019 to 0.63% in 2021), the sector’s contribution to GDP remains low.
“There is a collaboration gap between, CSOs, members of host communities, legislature, and regulatory bodies in the Solid Mineral Sector. The structure of MIREMCO operations has its frailty in the law that sets it up which has made it mainly ineffective in addressing issues in the Solid Minerals Sector.
“There is a complete absence of Civil Society Organisations and representatives of mining host communities in MIREMCO. This is limiting the participation of critical stakeholders in the solid mineral’s governance at the local level.
“There are no clear indicators for measuring the solid minerals impact on the socio-economic and environmental development of the mining host communities. Also, there is low transparency and accountability within the solid minerals sector, coupled with weak enforcement mechanisms.”
The CSOs called for more involvement of women in the mining sector and solid minerals policy formulation. They also sought the protection of women and children who continually suffered negative impacts of mining on their health, lives, homes, and livelihood.
Data concerning artisanal miners and people living with disabilities for proper planning, decision making and policy design were necessary. “There is a risk of repeating past mistakes from the Oil and Gas sector, especially in failing to make the sector to appropriately benefit host communities.
“There are concerns that false promises about the benefits of energy transition could lead to more hardships for mining communities. Illegal mining contributes to insecurity, funding terrorism, displacing community members and disrupting livelihoods, as seen in Shikira, Niger state, and Zamfara.
“Determining the social and economic impacts of mining on host communities should be mandatorily included in the Environmental Impact Assessment.
“There is a need to ensure strict adherence to the existing framework during Community Development Agreements (CDA’s) negotiations and development and most CDAs are often superficial and not sustainable. The influx of unregulated Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners (ASM) into host communities is fuelling insecurity and other vices in those communities”
Ministry of Solid Mineral Development, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, NEITI, and other relevant MDAs should improve and sustain their collaboration with civil society organisations and other stakeholders to drive better fiscal accountability in the sector.
“The problem of funding state MIREMCO still persists. There should therefore be a review of the existing law to address how MIREMCO is funded to strengthen its capacity to address environmental issues and fulfil its mandate to address the issues faced by host communities.
“To promote inclusivity, representatives of host communities and civil society organisations should be present at MIREMCO meetings and be considered as active participants in the process.
“Government Institutions like NEITI should develop Indicators to measure the mining industry’s impact on job creation and community welfare. In accessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the solid mineral sector, economic growth should be balanced with environmental stewardship, community welfare, and equitable resource distribution.
“Transparency and accountability within the mining sector should be improved, and the capacity of agencies to implement existing laws and regulations should be enhanced.
“All stakeholders including legislature, regulators, businesses, communities and civil society organisations should take deliberate action to encourage increased participation of women in the mining sector, including in policy formulation”
The Civil liberties groups added that lessons must be gleaned from the Oil and Gas sector, especially the Host Community Development Trust Fund under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, and deliberate efforts should be made by all stakeholders in the solid mineral sector to avoid the replication of the environmental devastation experienced in the Oil and Gas sector.
They said illegal mining posed great threats to host communities, noting that such need to be decisively addressed by the security agencies to halt the consistent displacement of host communities.
“International best practices in business and human rights should be adopted in the Nigerian mining sector paying strict attention to the Duty to Protect, Duty to Respect, and Access to Remedy.
“Environmental Impact Assessment should include the potential social and economic impacts of the mining activity, especially on women and children in host communities.
“All Stakeholders should continually enhance the capacities of communities through training to demand meaningful and sustainable Community Development Agreements that are not superficial” they maintained.
Among the stakeholders who took part in the forum are the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Mining companies, the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the National Assembly, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Ministries, Agencies and Departments of Government, the National Assembly.
