Formalise illegal miners rather than victimise them, expert tells FG

Nigerian-British mining expert, Ily Maisanda has told the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake to formalise illegal miners rather than victimising them for the overall development of the sector.

Maisanda, who is an Associate at Camborne School of Mines, made this statement while speaking on the state of the mining sector in Nigeria on Wednesday.

He adduced his reason for the indepth knowledge of the ‘Smart miners’ that will needed by would-be investors.

Maisanda said such would cause employment generation and formalize them.

The Associate explained that they would be creative on their path, realizing the need to discontinue perpetrating haphazard activities.

“Remove the label of the so-called illegal miners. Instead, sanitize the system by empowering them to be part of cooperatives by would-be mining operators.

“This is because these people have a number of knowledge not available at the federal, state, or local level. But it is a knowledge and experience the investors would need.

“By so doing, you are creating jobs for them, you are making their employment formal.

“They would be very creative in the sense that they see their prospects or future unlike looking beyond their shoulders whenever they are indulging in illegal mining and this leads to all sorts of haphazard mining environment.

“You have heard of mines collapsing in Niger recently and people died. If you bring them into the formal sector, you are actually cleaning up the system.

“Consequently, they will help their families and economy in growing,” he said.

This was just as he urged the Federal Government to give autonomy to the state in terms of mining development.

He pointed out that the state should be able to develop those resources rather than waiting on the federal government.

“The key thing is giving autonomy to the state. As far as I know, that has not been devolved. The Mineral and Land Law has the power vested in the Federal Government just like until recently we had same with electricity generation.

“With the mining as well, the state or regional government should be able to develop those resources rather than if someone finds something within your state he or she has to go back to Abuja,” Maisanda said.