New Telegraph 
From Taraba, Kaduna, Zamfara states up in the northern geo-political zone, through Plateau, Kogi, Kwara states in the North-central down to the southern states of Osun, Edo, Imo and Cross River, the recurring decimal of illegal mining, of the vast deposits of solid mineral resource holds sway.
Considering the huge losses of revenue and environ- mental degradation caused by this, it should not be allowed to continue. In retrospect, back in the ‘50s and ‘60s Nigeria relied on coal and tin to the point of exporting them and being quoted on the London Metal Exchange. This was strengthened by the Indigenization Decree of 1973 that subsequently sent many companies out of Nigeria. This, however, resulted in many workers being laid off by the companies pushing some of them to resort to artisanal mining.
Unfortunately, the discovery of, and focus on oil and gas led to the increase of this criminal act that has been on for decades, much against existing laws, as severally enacted. In hindsight, there was the Minerals and Mining Act 1999 in Nigeria, enforced by Decree 34 of 1999. It was aimed to regulate the orderly and approved carrying out of mining in Nigeria, with min- ing rights, in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Next was the Mining Act of 2007 which gave priority for the use of land for mining over other uses of land. Go- ing by the objections raised over the previous acts there was the Mineral Resources Act of 2012. It created Mineral Reservations for the development of strategic industries identified in country development plans. On its part, illegal mining is the drilling activity for solid minerals that is undertaken without state per- mission, in absence of land rights, mining licenses, and exploration. In addition to the loss of staggering amounts as revenue it causes deforestation, as well as polluting the water, air, and soil through the release of toxic chemicals.
As expected, the country has been at the receiving end of the nefarious activities of some foreign nationals, in collusion with some unpatriotic elements to the tune of about $9 billion annually. Apart from illegal mining they assist to smuggle gold, depriving mineral-rich states of the much-needed rev- enue from their God-given resources. In the absence of such economic malpractices, many states would have been generating increased inter- nal revenue.
For instance, in 2021 Ogun, Kogi and Cross River states received the highest funds from the sale of solid minerals inclusive of 13 per cent derivation. That is accord- ing to the report from the Combating the menace of illegal mining Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).
Unfortunately, the piece of news relating to the continuing menace of illegal mining in Nasarawa State is disturbing. For instance, it is on record that the state is blessed with the largest deposits of several viable solid minerals including cooking coal, barite, lead, zinc and lithium. It also plays host to most of the active solid minerals development companies.
To understand the under- pinning of the economic loss to the states it should be noted that gold sells for $1,935.75 per ounce (oz.), coal trades at $145.43 per metric ton, lead is sold at $0.9329 per pound (lb.) and lithium goes for $42.753 per kilo- gramme (kg), as at July 2023. With the aim to check- mate the influx of illegal miners and other economic criminals, the Nasarawa State Government issued Executive Order 02 of 2022 to ensure strict compliance by interested and authorised miners.
What must have informed the executive order had to do with the protest by the Youth Assembly of Nigeria (YAN) Toto chapter that vehemently condemned an alleged illegal mining activity that was taking place in the Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. To redress the economic injustice and inequity of hav- ing revenue from the sales of crude oil in the oil-producing states going into the federa- tion account, while that of solid minerals go to feather the nests of foreign miners and their collaborators, the laws against illegal mining must be enforced.
The governors in the affect- ed states should identify the accomplices and bring them to book as the Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas is doing, beginning with warn- ings given to the monarchs over illegal miners. In a similar vein, the police should work in partnership with the Economic and Fi- nancial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the fight against illegal mining as being prac- ticed in Kwara State. Also, those caught as culprits in the illicit mining should be prosecuted. That is what was expected of the po- lice in Zamfara State that ar- rested two Chinese nationals for alleged illegal mining at Kwali village in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of the state. Now is also the time for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to fulfil its promise to promote solid minerals exportation to maximise the potential and benefits of AfCFTA. Given the dire state of the country’s economy, with low revenue from crude oil sales and oil theft while huge debts have become the alba- tross to recovery, illegal solid mineral mining must be fron- tally combatted.
