Nigeria’s mining sector is worth $700 billion and boasts 44 different types of commercially viable minerals, the activities of these illegal operators and illegal rock blasting were depriving the government of the revenue. Meanwhile, the government seems to be helpless in bringing the criminals to book. A report by the Guardian highlighted the detrimental effects of illegal rock blasting in several states in Nigeria. Here’s everything you should know about it.
Oyo State
Experts expressed dismay at the culture of silence displayed by residents of Dejo Oyelese Close on Adeyi Avenue, Bodija, Ibadan, which allowed people of questionable character to live among them for years without anyone reporting until the horrific blast that claimed lives and destroyed property on January 16, 2024. They were particularly alarmed by the destruction that illegal miners have wreaked on the environment throughout the nation, particularly the recent explosion in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, which claimed lives and destroyed properties worth billions of naira. The community also faces the likelihood of flooding owing to many deep holes and craters caused by the miners, especially with the waterways surrounding the area.
Plateau State
At the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development in Jos, an insider source told The Guardian that the government was losing fortunes to illegal mining.
Imo State
In Imo State, there were reported cases of illegal sand excavation, oil pipeline vandalisation and siphoning of crude in some parts of Egbema in Ohaji/Egbema local council.
Nigeria’s mining sector is worth $700 billion and boasts 44 different types of commercially viable minerals, the activities of these illegal operators and illegal rock blasting were depriving the government of the revenue.