Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Nigeria’s Federal Government has declined a proposal by governors from the country’s northern states to impose a blanket suspension of mining activities across the region as part of efforts to tackle escalating banditry and insecurity. The decision was confirmed on Monday by officials in Abuja, where the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, spoke on the matter during engagements with journalists and policymakers.
The northern governors’ request stemmed from concerns that illegal mining operations were contributing to the financing and sheltering of criminal networks, including armed bandits who have terrorised communities with kidnappings, killings and other violent crimes across large swathes of northern Nigeria. Earlier communiqués issued by the Northern States Governors’ Forum and traditional leaders had called for a six‑month suspension of mining activities to disrupt illicit financial flows and enable an audit and revalidation of licences linked to criminality.
However, the Federal Government — speaking through Alake’s media office — ruled out a blanket ban on mining activities in the North, insisting that such a move would have serious negative economic implications for both the region and the nation. Government representatives highlighted that numerous strategic industries across Nigeria rely on minerals and raw materials sourced from the North, including lithium processing plants near Nasarawa and iron processing facilities in Kaduna. Even the cement factory in Ajaokuta, Kogi State — outside the North but economically linked — depends on limestone mining.
Officials argue that a comprehensive shutdown of mining would disrupt legitimate economic activity and risk jeopardising jobs, livelihoods and industrial operations, particularly at a time when Nigeria is seeking to strengthen its extractive sector and attract investment. Instead, the government has signalled its intent to pursue a targeted approach that combines security interventions with regulatory oversight rather than a full suspension. Part of this strategy includes plans to conduct a sector‑wide audit and revalidation of mining licences, with detailed arrangements reportedly being finalised behind the scenes ahead of public announcement.
To enhance supervision and enforcement at mining sites, authorities also said they are fast‑tracking the deployment of satellite surveillance and increased capacity for mining marshals. These measures are intended to bolster security around mining operations and deter criminal elements from exploiting weak oversight. The government stated it is also engaging international partners to support monitoring and enforcement efforts.
Despite the Federal Government’s position, the broader debate over mining’s role in northern Nigeria’s security challenges continues. Northern governors previously argued that illegal mining — particularly artisanal and unregulated operations — has become a significant source of funding and operational cover for bandit groups, and their proposal also included calls for the establishment of state policing and contributions to a regional security trust fund to support coordinated responses to kidnapping and terrorism.
Critics of the proposed mining suspension — including some industry stakeholders — warned that halting all mining could paradoxically worsen insecurity by driving away legitimate miners and leaving sites vulnerable to illegal operators. Mining associations have pointed to past experiences where suspended mining activity created power vacuums exploited by criminal groups, reinforcing concerns that blanket bans might not deliver the intended security outcomes.
As the security situation in the North remains volatile, with frequent reports of bandit attacks, kidnappings and clashes between armed groups and security forces, policymakers face a complex policy trade‑off between economic sustainability and effective crime‑fighting strategies. The government’s rejection of a comprehensive suspension of mining underscores this tension, even as regional leaders push for stronger action and systemic reform of security architectures, including the controversial push for state police.
The conversation over mining and insecurity is expected to evolve in the coming weeks as negotiations between federal and state authorities continue, and as formal steps toward auditing mining licences and strengthening enforcement frameworks begin to take shape.
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