By Kayode Falade
After taking a thorough look at the nation`s mining sector, a policy advocacy platform, Think Tank on Nigeria (TTON), has submitted that it rots just as it calls on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the sector.
The Think Tank on Nigeria, however, proffered solutions and gave insight into how the country could benefit wholly not only in terms of employment creation but in tremendous boost to its internally generated revenue.
This was contained in a communiqué no – TTON/6/2022, it made available to Nature News on Saturday.
The Think Tank on Nigeria (TTON) organisation is a policy advocacy platform with 286 members of various professions, drawn from the geo-political zones of Nigeria, charged with discussing Nigerian politics, as well as analysing political candidates and policies.
According to the statement the discussion which produced the communiqué was moderated by the platform`s convener, Engr. Dideolu Falobi.
The discussion according to the statement examined the country`s mining sector and its contribution to Nigeria’s GDP concluding that “despite the sector’s potential to increase the IGR of the nation, it has remained depleted, underutilized, and underproductive to the disadvantage of national development. Rather, the sector has become tainted with consistent exploitation, and unmitigated smuggling of these natural resources by foreigners with the connivance of some unscrupulous indigenous elements due to some induced filthy lucre to shut their conscience.”
The communiqué continued: “There should be a declaration of a state of emergency in this sector as most of the precious minerals are being mined illegally and sold every day without returns to Government.”
In the discussion, members tried to proffer answers to some questions like: how the contribution of mining to the national GDP could be increased, the labour, funding, technology, health, safety, and environmental standards.
It also brainstormed on the action of the government doing enough? If not, are there ways in which we can improve what the government is doing?
The group, however, resolved that for the desired effect to be had in the mining sector of the country, the Federal Government needs to get more serious about the situation and roll out an expression of interest to recover the gold assets in the mines through transparent national and international bidding.
It added: “The recovered gold can be put in a secured vault; a national mining company should be created to own the assets and be listed on the gold stock exchange in London, the USA, and Hong Kong; gold refineries must be established to refine some of the gold from time to time to make ornaments and jewellery for sale locally and internationally; the same process can be applied to over 36 other minerals available in Nigeria in commercial quantities but currently exploited by artisanal or illegal miners.
“Government should industrialize the sector by supporting it with more mechanized and advanced mining technology; the minister that will be appointed to man the Mines and Steel Ministry must possess the requisite knowledge of the industry. He / she, like other ministers, must be ready to sign a performance contract that will spell out timelines to effectively diversify the Nigerian economy from oil to mining, there must be a seamless synergy between the state and Federal Government. The Federal Government must give exploration licenses to the states with the natural minerals; in order to harmonize the artisanal miners properly into cooperative societies.”
The communiqué continued: “Empowerment of the Local Government Areas to become major stakeholders in these mining sites will ease the tension of insurgency and burden exploitation by some faceless foreigners. Using representative fractions, the local tier should exercise higher authority over fiscal reality; there must be political willpower and readiness from the security operatives to combat the mess of natural resources exploitation in Nigeria; remedial measures should be put in place by the regulatory agency or ministry, mandating mining companies, to put in place, measures to remediate the environment that has been negatively impacted by mining exploration activities. Mining activities leave host communities environmentally devastated. Hence, it became mandatory for them to restore the mined sites to its original topography; mining operations/activities generate fine dust and soot that are dangerous to humans. Mining companies should be mandated to provide basic primary health facilities to host communities. A dispensary, managed by a local matron, will be ideal in a mining community.
It added “Where host communities/villages share proximity location with mineral mining locations, for health reasons, such communities should be relocated far from mining locations to prevent health hazards to children and others; government, ministry, or any other regulatory agency, must create a unit to supervise remedial work to ‘heal’ the environment of local communities that have been devastated by mining operations, with a view to managing the environment, and postmining operations situation. The locals/villagers must be aware and properly oriented to hold the miners accountable for all forms of land degradation that might have occurred in the process of mining operations; part of the ways to improve what the government is doing is PPP (Public Private Partnership). Considering this private participation, there is a need to break down the value chain, and the participatory roles expected from the private sector, this step of PPP could stop and stabilize the theft currently experienced in the mining industry.”
The communiqué concluded: “The Nigerian Customs Service must rise to the occasion of their responsibilities to curb the excesses of illegal exportation of these resources out of Nigeria which evidently goes through the border post of Nigeria; the 13% derivative approach given to the oil producing states should be applicable to the mining host states. The same 13% derivative should be allocated to the mining host states; environmental impact assessment, health risk analysis, and other safety procedures must be adopted to ensure residents of these mining locations are free of health endemics.”