The federal government has extended one month’s ultimatum given to illegal miners in the country to get registered and properly recognised.
TheHintsNews reports that the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake had last month handed down the ultimatum warning that the federal government would take punitive measures against any illegal miner who has refused to register.
However, Alake while addressing a joint press briefing with the Minister of Steel Development, Audu Abubakar ahead of the 8th Edition of the Nigerian Mining Week, said beneath the Nigerian soil lies vast mineral resources that harbor tremendous potential for growth and prosperity for the country.
He said the one month ultimatum given to illegal Miners to get registered has been extended by “another month grace period”, saying “it is for their good as the directive was not punitive.”
He noted that the Nigeria Mining Week 2023 is poised to be a significant milestone in the government’s continuous efforts to showcase the potential of our mining sector.
The minister added that with the theme, “Unlocking Nigeria’s Mining Potential” encapsulated the government’s unwavering commitment to harness the abundant mineral resources that are spread across our land.
Alake noted: “In recent years, we have witnessed substantial progress in the mining sector. We have executed critical reforms, modernized our regulatory framework, and attracted both local and foreign investments. These have led to significant improvements in the mining activities in Nigeria.
Bearing his mind on various bans imposed on mining activities by state governments, the minister warned that no state has the legal rights to dabble into mining activities, noting, mining remains the exclusive rights of the federal government.
His words: “This is a Constitutional matter. I want to use this opportunity to get to the entire Nigeria public that no State and I repeat, no State has the authority to interfere in mining operations.
“And it is no brainer as mining belongs to the exclusive list of the federal government according to the constitution. It is not in the Residual, it is not in the Concurrent. All items on the Residual, belongs to the state, and all items on the executive list belongs to the federal, there is no doubt about that,” Alake concluded.