Enugu govt gives companies deadline for coal mining

The Enugu State Government has announced December as the deadline for mineral title holders to commence coal mining operations in the state.

The government announced this Saturday at the end of a meeting between the state’s Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee led by its Chairperson, Samuel Okoro, and mineral title holders in the state.

A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting said the parties resolved to initiate further engagement to identify additional challenges in the sector and recommend solutions which would help foster more inclusive and effective mining in the state.

The communiqué indicated that the move was to restore Enugu State to its prominence as the leading coal mining state in the defunct Eastern Region of Nigeria.

It stressed the need to sensitise host communities on the committee’s objectives and how they could assist in ensuring smooth business operations through cooperation between them and the miners to reduce disruptions.

More agreement

Part of the agreement between the government and the mineral title holders is that the committee would demand the directories of all mineral titles in Enugu State through the Mining Cadastre Office.

The communiqué noted that the agreement was reached to uphold transparency and accountability and ensure that all mineral title holders in the state comply with the regulatory requirements.

During the meeting, the committee reiterated its commitment to ensuring that all the titles became operational before the end of 2024.

It said this was part of their efforts to eradicate mineral title inactiveness and stimulate economic growth in the sector.

“The title holders are urged to commence operations promptly, with the committee pledging to provide support and address any challenges that may arise to facilitate this process,” the communiqué reads in part.

In his remarks at the end of the meeting, Mr Okoro, an engineer, commended the state governor, Peter Mbah, and the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, for giving them the opportunity to make their impact in the sector.

The committee chairperson, who is also the special adviser to Governor Mbah on solid minerals, assured that he would ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards.

“We commend his visionary leadership and dedication to the ministry, and we pledge our commitment to ensuring that his leadership leaves an excellent legacy for the sector,” Mr Okoro said.

He urged the mineral title holders to do their best and make a difference, stressing that the committee was ready to collaborate to achieve maximum results.

Coal mining in Enugu

Enugu State in Nigeria’s South-east is known for its rich coal deposits.

After the coal was discovered in Enugu in 1909, the Nigerian government created an agency, the Nigerian Coal Corporation (NCC), tasked with exploiting the coal resources.

However, with the discovery of crude oil in the country in the 1950s, the attention shifted to oil, and coal mining was abandoned. The situation was compounded by the outbreak of the civil war in 1967.

The NCC would later end mining operations in the state some years later.

With the failure of both the federal and state governments to further explore the resources, private firms and individuals stepped in and resumed mining operations in the state and in other parts of the country.