Musa Pam 
Plateau State Government has appealed to licensed miners, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the mining sector to support the temporary suspension of all mining activities in their domains as a necessary step toward restoring sanity in the sector.
It also instructed the Chairmen of the Local Governments to work with the government established technical committee to educate the public about the importance of legal mining and help artisanal miners organise cooperatives for greater financial benefits.
The State Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Hon. Peter Lamba Gwom alongside the Commissioner of Information, Hon. Mrs. Joyce Ramnap mentioned that the suspension of illegal mining activities was borne out of the governor’s shared responsibility to protect lives and property from the escalating threats of insecurity emanating from mining activities and unregulated mining operations within the state.
He highlighted that over the decades, mining activities have resulted in severe land degradation, environmental pollution, increased child labour, illicit drug trade, proliferation of arms, banditry, kidnappings, and other dangerous trends.
“It is particularly disheartening that many young people in our state are abandoning their education to engage in artisanal mining, thereby exposing themselves to exploitation, drug abuse, prostitution, and life-threatening health hazards.
“In light of these disturbing trends, His Excellency, Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, in consultation with stakeholders, took the bold and necessary decision to temporarily suspend mining activities in the state through Executive Order 001, 2025.”.
He explained that the inaugurated Technical Committee was set up by the governor with the mandate to engage all stakeholders in the mining sector and develop a framework for ensuring that mining activities in the state align with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, and Mining Regulations 2011.
The commissioner further added that the goal is to establish a win-win system where mining activities benefit the federal government, the state government, and the local communities and also to ensure that host communities are not exploited but rather empowered through a sustainable and legal mining framework.
Hon. Gwom charged the youths who formed the bulk of the mining workforce to exercise patience and understanding during the transition period, adding that the government is aware of the temporary hardship this may cause both the workforce and companies but remains committed to safeguarding their future by ensuring that mining is conducted legally and responsibly.
The commissioner implored securities agencies to ensure that they enforce the executive order professionally and without bias in order to ensure full compliance while upholding human rights.
He therefore warned those who want to politicise the patriotic intervention of government by whipping up ethnic, religious, or gender sentiments to desist from doing so and urged all to see this as a necessary and strategic move aimed at sanitising the mining sector, curbing criminal activities, protecting arable land, securing infrastructures, and attracting legitimate investments for the overall benefit of Plateau State.
