Some stakeholders in the mining sector have commended the federal government for reversing the five-year ban on mineral exploration activities in Zamfara State.
The stakeholders made the commendation in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Abuja.
NAN reports that the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, recently announced the reversal of the ban on mining exploration in Zamfara, citing significant improvement of the security situation in the state.
NAN recalls that the federal government banned all forms of mining exploration in Zamfara in 2019, following alarming reports of banditry and its link to illegal mining.
National President, Miners Association of Nigeria, MAN, Mr Dele Ayankele, thanked the minister for the move, explaining that the ban deprived government of accruable revenues.
Ayankele stated that insecurity and banditry, which led to the ban, had also resulted in unnecessary budgetary allocations being wasted to maintain peace in the area.
“This is not to talk of unquantifiable losses to the mining lease holders in Zamfara, who might have lost their titles due to non-remittance of appropriate fees and levies as at when due.
“Also holders may have experienced inability to service loans and its attendant piling debts, rotten equipment, loss of manpower and social embarrassment due to inability to maintain their family obligations,“ he said.
He commended the minster for efforts leading to the ban reversal.
According to him, the effectiveness of the move will be determined by the measures put in place to sustain the security recorded in the state.
He acknowledged the determination of the minister to secure mining sites across the country, particularly through inter-ministerial collaborations.
“All these will be unveiled early in the coming year, as lease holders attempt to resume mining operations,“ he said.
Similarly, Secretary of the Association of Miners and Processors of Barite, AMABOP, Patrick Odiegwu, described the reversal as a step in the right direction and a welcome development.
He stated that continous suspension of economic activities could lead to more insecurity, as residents of the affected areas might become idle and resort to unlawful means to sustain themselves.
According to Odiegwu, government should consolidate on the reversal by leveraging technology to secure mining areas and beyond.
He explained that analog security measures may not be effective in addressing insecurity compared to a modern monitoring system that incorporates artificial intelligence.
“If we want to apply guns towards securing our environment, we will continue to have insecurity. If we apply technology, huge artificial intelligence, robotics, you don’t even need to lose one soldier.
“Government has the capacity to monitor every body in Nigeria, individually, if such system is available,“ he said.
He emphasised that proactive measures are necessary to keep bandits on the run and maintain the peace that had been established. NAN
