FG addressing environmental degradation caused by mining – minister
By Martha Agas
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has said that the ministry is addressing the fears of states about environmental degradation by ensuring that mining companies comply with stipulated standards.
Alake stated this at the closing of the ninth Nigeria Mining Week on Wednesday in Abuja.
The minister stated that there were departments responsible for overseeing the operations of the operators.
He said that the departments have the veto to make sure that the operators comply with environmental standards and regulations.
Alake added that the move was aimed at addressing reports of subnational interference involving overregulation of the sector and multiple taxes imposed by state governments, among other issues.
“This issue came up at the chief executives roundtable on Tuesday. We have been engaging the sub-national authorities, which are not necessarily states alone but local governments as well.
“Some local governments also claim ownership of the land and then get into dispute with operators, so I have been engaging with these governments,” he explained.
He said that, in addition to the move, he encouraged state governments to apply for mining licenses to give them a sense of belonging and participation.
According to the minister, findings reveal that sub-nationals have grievances about possessing mineral resources in their areas but they do not have access to them.
He said that the move was easing tensions in states, with infractions by mining companies being reported to the ministry for appropriate action.
The minister urged mining stakeholders to think outside the box and introduce innovations and initiatives to address their challenges, stating that concerted efforts were required to develop the sector.
Alake further said that during engagements with chief executive officers of mining companies, a suggestion was made for the government to establish a solid minerals bank.
“I told them why don`t you think outside the box, why don`t you bend a little bit from a conventional perspective, and why can`t the operators come together and establish their own bank that will service themselves?
“If you wait for government to establish the bank, automatically government will control it, and it will now be subject to political influence, and the structure may not endure beyond the government that established it,“ he said.
He expressed confidence that Mining Week stimulated intellectual engagements, the exchange of ideas, and provided a platform to explore opportunities aimed at developing the sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme for the mining week is ‘From the Inside Out: Building the Mining Sector to be the Cornerstone of the Economy.’ (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Peter Amine
