Dele Alake, the minister of Solid Minerals Development has called for more collaboration between stakeholders in the solid minerals sector and the National Parks Service to combat illegal mining and curb incidents of mines collapse.
The Minister was reacting to the news of the pit collapse during illegal mining operations in the Gashaka-Gunti National Park, an incident that the ministry was monitoring through the federal mines officers in Taraba and Adamawa states.
It is reported that not less than 22 miners have reportedly died following the collapse of the pit located within a national game reserve spanning Gashaka Local Government Area in Taraba State and Toungo Local Government Area in Adamawa State on Thursday, October 31, 2024.
According to the minister, technical reports from field inspection indicated that the lack of professional skills in mine development by artisanal miners engaging in illegal mining was responsible for the pit’s collapse.
Calling on perpetrators to stop risking their lives in search of minerals, Alake advised them to form mining co-operatives and approach the ministry to facilitate licences and permits to operate legally.
He informed that the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act and extant regulations outlaw mineral exploration in the national parks as it endangers the virgin forests, the plants, and the wildlife being preserved by the Federal Government.
Recalling that the Ministry and the management of the National Parks Service have discussed the terms of collaboration to stop mining in the parks, he called on the officers of the National Parks Service to report any case of mineral extraction to the nearest Federal Mines Officer for immediate action.
To forestall a recurrence, the minister called on local government authorities to pay more attention to illegal mining activities within their areas and work with the state offices of the ministry to align with the early warning systems put in place to combat the menace of illegal mining.
He said the Ministry is sponsoring radio programmes on the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria and the Voice of Nigeria to educate Nigerians on the dangers of illegal mining and the need to join co-operatives to benefit from the ministry’s training and empowerment programmes.
Noting that the programmes are translated into nine Nigerian languages to target artisanal miners who are mostly non-English speakers, Alake said the Ministry artisanal department is planning more engagement programmes to deepen the confidence between artisanal miners and the government.
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