Combating Illegal Mining in Nigeria: A Call for Legislative Intervention

Abstract

This policy brief highlighted the urgent need for legislative measures to address illegal mining in Nigeria, providing a framework to tackle this complex challenge. Illegal mining significantly threatens Nigeria's economy, environment, and society. Ineffective regulations and enforcement have allowed this illegal industry to flourish, leading to widespread environmental damage, revenue loss, and social unrest. The prevalence of illegal mining, especially in states where solid minerals like gold, lead, zinc, and tantalite are extracted without government permission, has resulted in billions of Naira in losses for the country. This is due to the lack of an effective legal framework, which facilitates illegal mining and results in environmental degradation, loss of government revenue, psychological oppression, and insecurity, characterised by banditry, kidnapping, and other organised crimes in the society. To effectively combat these challenges, legislative action must focus on: • The National Assembly may wish to enact and rigorously enforce comprehensive legislation that imposes significantly stricter penalties, including substantial fines and lengthy imprisonment, for individuals and organisations involved in illegal mining operations. • Lawmakers should mandate fair and equitable compensation for communities negatively impacted by mining activities. This ensures the social and economic well-being of residents is protected and prioritised. • Legislators may wish to strengthen the regulatory bodies overseeing the mining sector. This includes allocating sufficient funding and empowering these bodies to effectively monitor mining activities and enforce compliance with all relevant regulations. • Legislators may wish to enact laws promoting robust public awareness campaigns. These campaigns should educate local communities, miners, and other stakeholders about the detrimental effects of illegal mining and emphasise the critical importance of adhering to established regulations. • Legislators may wish to enact laws that incentivise and mandate the adoption of advanced technologies for monitoring and tracking mining activities, enhancing transparency and accountability within the sector.