The federal government, through the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, stressed that collecting biometrics of registered artisanal and small-scale miners could reduce the rate of illegal mining and smuggling in the country.
Mines and Steel Development Minister, Olamilekan Adegbite said the ministry is prioritizing artisanal and artisanal mining companies to combat ongoing illegal activities in the subsector.
“By building an ecosystem, he hopes to minimize the rate of illegal mining and smuggling, increase government revenue from resources, create jobs, and improve environmental and social responsibility. The minister also announced that the creation of a gem market would ensure the diversification of Nigeria’s national economic base.
Adegbite also said that the ministry has designed six strategic ASM cluster projects in his six geopolitical zones, tapping into the potential of over three million artisanal and artisanal miners in the country, Ibadan He said creating an international gem market in the southwestern zone of the United States is one of those projects.