Niger State Government has conditionally suspended its ban on mining activities in the state, a year after Governor Umaru Bago placed the restriction.
Acting Governor Yakubu Garba announced the suspension at the Government House in Minna, outlining the conditions for mining companies to operate in the state.
He said mining companies must approach the State Ministry of Mineral Resources for profiling, to curb insecurity and reduce revenue losses.
He said the profiling process will enable the state government to keep track of mining activities, ensure compliance with regulations, and prevent illegal mining.
The acting governor also inaugurated a task force to tackle illegal mining across the state.
The task force, comprising representatives from relevant government agencies, security agencies, and community leaders, was mandated to, among other responsibilities, identify illegal miners, eradicate child labour in mining sites, and verify the type of mineral title belonging to each of the license holders in the state.
According to data from the mining cadastre office, a total of 578 mineral titles have been issued to operators in Niger State, out of which 369, representing 81.46 per cent were granted on gold alone.
Shiroro, Munya and Rafi local government areas house the largest deposit of gold in the state but are the epicentre for banditry activities.
The state government attributed the banditry ubiquitous in the affected areas to mining activities hence its ban a year ago.
