Niger govt inaugurates taskforce on illegal mining

The Niger government has inaugurated a taskforce on illegal mining activities in the state.

Mr Yakubu Garba, Acting Governor of the state, inaugurated the taskforce in Minna on Monday and also announced the conditional lifting of ban on illegal mining in the state.

He said that the terms and reference of the taskforce would be to monitor, identify and report illegal mining sites, monitor, identify and report child labour on mining sites in the state.

Garba added that other terms and reference would monitor the compliance with the executive order on suspension of illegal mining and profiling mining companies.

Others were to monitor and report security challenges in mining host communities, identify and report companies not paying revenue and royalties to the state.

He added that the taskforce was also to identify the types of minerals title held by companies, determine companies, determine compliance with extant mining laws and examine matters connected to the task.

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He said that records had shown that there were 578 registered mining companies, 302 mining co-operative society and only 261 out the number had been profiled by the state Ministry of Mineral Resources.

The acting-governor said that profiling of the companies and co-operative society would attract local and direct foreign investment derived by comprehensive mineral resources data based.

He explained the most incessant attacks on communities were not only about farmers and herders crises, but envisaged that the deposit of mineral resources was part of the attraction of insecurity in communities.

Responding, Alhaji Abubakar Usman, Chairman of the taskforce and Secretary to Niger Government, thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged to carry out the task diligently.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee would be co-chaired by Alhaji Sabon Yahaya, Niger Commissioner for Mineral Resources while Alhaji Mohammed Yunusa, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, would serve as the secretary.

Other members are Commissioner for Homeland Security, Commissioner of Police, Director of DSS, Commandant on of NSCDC, 25 council chairmen, secretaries of the eight emirates and representatives of the state assembly, among others.