Dr. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, announced that the Nigerian government will implement satellite technology to monitor mining sites across the nation. This initiative aims to complement the efforts of the 2,220 Mining Marshal Corps personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who have received modern warfare training to combat illegal mining.
The deployment spans all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of a broader strategy to secure Nigeria’s natural resources amidst prevalent issues like banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.The Tinubu administration inherited significant security challenges within the solid minerals sector, particularly in remote forested areas where illegal activities are rampant. To address these issues, the government is collaborating with agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Army, and the Police. This multi-agency effort underscores President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to sanitizing the mining sector and enhancing its contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Dr. Alake emphasized the ministry’s goal to elevate the solid minerals sector’s GDP contribution beyond that of oil. The government is aggressively marketing Nigeria’s abundant critical minerals, essential for the global energy transition, to attract major investors. With strategic policies and initiatives, the administration aims to diversify the economy, generate more revenue from solid minerals, and reduce dependency on oil amidst the global shift towards renewable energy sources.