The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has called for increased collaboration between stakeholders in the solid minerals sector and the National Parks Service to combat illegal mining and prevent incidents of mine pit collapses.
Alake stated this in response to reports of a pit collapse in the Gashaka-Gunti National Park, Adamawa State, which resulted in the deaths of 22 people.
A statement released by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Thursday, confirmed that the Ministry is monitoring the incident, which occurred due to illegal mining activities in the area.
The Minister noted that technical reports from field inspections revealed that the lack of professional skills in mine development by artisanal miners engaged in illegal mining was responsible for the collapse of the pit.
The statement read, “The Solid Minerals Development Minister, Dr. Dele Alake, has urged more collaboration between stakeholders in the solid minerals sector and the National Parks Service to combat illegal mining and prevent mine collapses.
“Technical reports from the field inspection of the Adamawa pit collapse indicated that the lack of professional skills in mine development by artisanal miners involved in illegal mining caused the pit’s collapse.”
Alake called on perpetrators to stop risking their lives in search of minerals and advised them to form mining cooperatives and approach the Ministry to obtain licences and permits to operate legally.
The Minister reminded the public that the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act and existing regulations prohibit mineral exploration in national parks, as it threatens the preservation of virgin forests, plants, and wildlife managed by the Federal Government.
Recalling that the Ministry and the National Parks Service management had discussed the terms of collaboration to halt mining in national parks, Alake urged National Parks Service officers to report any mineral extraction activities to the nearest Federal Mines Officer for immediate action.
To prevent a recurrence, the Minister called on local government authorities to take greater responsibility for monitoring illegal mining activities within their jurisdictions and work with the state offices of the Ministry to align with early warning systems established to combat illegal mining.
Alake mentioned that the Ministry is sponsoring radio programmes on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and the Voice of Nigeria to educate the public about the dangers of illegal mining and the benefits of joining cooperatives to access the Ministry’s training and empowerment programmes.
He also pointed out that the programmes are translated into nine Nigerian languages to reach artisanal miners, many of whom are non-English speakers. Dr. Alake added that the Ministry’s artisanal department is planning further engagement programmes to strengthen the trust between artisanal miners and the government.
Earlier this year, more than 50 miners were trapped in a collapsed 400-metre-deep mining pit in the Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. They were left without rescue for over four weeks, ultimately leading to their deaths.