Stakeholders in Nigeria’s mining sector have been encouraged to provide women in the industry with access to training, information, and economic opportunities to help them play a more active role in the sector’s development.
The call was made by Regina Solomon, Programme Manager at the Center for Gender Economics in Africa (CGEA), during a one-day workshop held in Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. The event, which brought together over 50 women in mining, focused on the theme: “Empowering Women in Mining to Understand Climate Change Impacts and Advocate for Nigeria’s Energy Transition.”
Solomon highlighted that the programme was designed to equip women with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive in the evolving mining landscape, especially as it relates to climate resilience and the transition to renewable energy.
She said, “This training aims to increase awareness about how climate change affects small-scale mining and introduces women to the new opportunities emerging in the energy transition space.”
Also speaking at the event, Mrs Oluwatoni Adeleke, CEO of Olive Community Development Initiative (OCDI), noted that the training would help women in mining unite their voices to advocate for government support and position themselves as future leaders in the energy and mining sectors. She added that the initiative would help women learn about emerging mineral demands and how to access available resources and networks.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Kwara State Ministry of Solid Minerals, Ishiaq Yinka Olokooba, acknowledged that the women-in-mining initiative, launched in the state in 2021, has been instrumental in developing both skilled and unskilled female miners. He affirmed that women, particularly in artisanal and community-based mining, have long contributed to Nigeria’s mining economy, though their work often goes unrecognised.
