Illegal mining is one of the many crimes the Nigerian government has been battling with for years now.
In recent times, the negative effects of this illegal venture has greatly been felt, with death count steadily rising.
Now, the President Bola Tinubu-led Government has commissioned the Mines Marshals, a paramilitary squad.
The squad was formed from a unit of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) to tackle the menace of illegal mining in the country.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, launched the Marshals at an event in Abuja on Thursday.
Value Addition
The minister added that the unit would also curb the smuggling of solid minerals from the country to foreign nations.
The minister had on Tuesday said that no mining license would be issued to prospective investors without requisite plans for value addition on minerals.
Alake spoke via a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.
He said the federal government had resolved to ensure compliance before permitting investors to operate.
He said that his Seven-Point Agenda for the ministry had placed the mining sector on global front burner since assuming office.
Renewed Interest
This, according to him, had generated renewed interest from the international community in Nigeria’s mineral resources.
He said the support of the executive and the legislature had enabled the ministry to showcase the solid minerals sector globally.
This resulted in his election at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He was elected as the Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG).
According to him, with the pact that led to the formation of the AMSG, there is now unity of purpose.
That unity of purpose is focused on the African continent regarding the issue of local value addition.
Local Value
He said: “We are no longer going to allow anybody or license any company that wants to go into the mineral sector without giving us a plan for local value addition.
Also Read: Crime: NSCDC Apprehends 82 Suspected Illegal Miners
Plans like processing, refining which has a multiplier effect on the economy.
“It instantly generates employment rather than a few people carting away lithium, gold, and the likes to other countries to sell.
“These minerals must now be processed in Nigeria, creating more value and beneficiation for local communities where they are sourced.”
