Dele Alake, Nigeria’s minister of solid minerals development, says the federal government will deploy technology for surveillance of mining sites across the country.
Alake said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
He said the technology would add to the 2,220-strong Mining Marshal Corps of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) to combat illegal mining.
Corps deployed in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were also trained in modern warfare by the military to protect Nigeria’s natural resources.
“We are introducing some technology; We do not depend only on men and materials.
“The satellite surveillance devices we are installing allow us to see in real time all the mining sites in Nigeria.
“So that when we notice any violations, we can very quickly deploy mining marshals to go there, so that we don’t even have to wait for any interpersonal communication.
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“That reduces the time of knowledge and action. Right now, we rely on people passing us intelligence, but when the satellite surveillance device is working, we will be able to see it ourselves.
“Which is a step forward in the right direction,” he said.
The minister stated that to attract investors to the sector, especially large ones, it was necessary to implement policies and initiatives aimed at securing their investments.
“We needed to put policy measures in place to ensure that when these investors come, they are not just in the darkness that we had here before.
“They will ask some questions about what is the security of your operating environment, your investment, your staff and the ease of doing business in Nigeria and the sector,” he said.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration inherited many security challenges such as banditry, kidnapping and terrorism that were associated with the solid minerals sector.
He explained that most mining activities took place in the forests, where these crimes were perpetrated.
He said the Tinubu administration was determined to clean up the sector and reposition it to contribute significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to the minister, concerted efforts are being deployed to curb the menace with other government agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigerian Army and the police for quick results.
“I had a meeting with the Inspector General of Police on this issue and he is willing to give us more men to support those we have on the ground.
“Even the EFCC is cooperating with us; They are also arresting; The military also listed the number of illegal miners they have arrested; It is a holistic effort that encompasses all security agencies.
“But mining agents are only the face of the security apparatus that we are putting in place to combat illegal mining,” he said.
(YAYA)