Addressing participants of Course 34 of the Nigerian Defence College, Abuja, on the assessment of the solid minerals value chain and the impact on economic growth, Alake said the Mining Marshals have lived up to the mandate to provide an enforcement agency for the sector.
He said scaling up the logistical strength in terms of vehicles, equipment, and weaponry will power the expansion of the agency’s operations to the 774 local governments and improve the security of mines and miners.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, Segun Tomori, read, “The Mining Marshals have lived up to the mandate to provide an enforcement agency for the sector and ongoing plans to boost the capacity of the Mining Marshals will further rid the country of illegal miners.”
Since their deployment in 2023, the Mining Marshals have reclaimed about 90 sites from illegal miners and bandits, prosecuted over 300 offenders, and monitored about 450 mining locations under threat from illegal operators.
Responding to concerns over inter-agency rivalry with the Mining Marshals, Alake appreciated other military and security agencies, such as the Nigerian Army and Police, for the smooth collaboration that has enabled the Mining Marshals to excel.
Represented by his Special Adviser, Kehinde Bamigbetan, Alake took the participants through the value chain of the solid minerals sector, including licensing, exploration, community engagement, extraction, processing, and sales.
He said the Seven-Point Agenda, the roadmap he introduced as minister, has added value to the sector’s value chain by sanitising the sector and blocking financial leakages.
Citing the increase in total revenue of the ministry from N6bn in 2022 to N12bn in 2024 and currently at N26bn as of October this year, Alake said this was achieved by raising the bar of compliance with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.
He said over 3,700 titles have been revoked for failing to pay annual service fees and failing to mine in line with the use-or-lose principle, adding that companies have been warned to comply with the Community Development Agreement and meet environmental obligations.
To further position the sector for international competitiveness, Alake said the establishment of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company has opened the door to investors ready for joint ventures.
Thanking the minister on behalf of the course participants, the Director, Information, Communications and Technology of the Nigerian Defence College, Air Commodore Olushola Oluokun, thanked the minister for the enlightening lecture, which shed light on various subjects being studied by participants.
Illegal mining has remained a persistent challenge in Nigeria’s extractive sector, depriving the government of billions in potential revenue and fuelling insecurity in mineral-rich regions. In response, the Federal Government launched the Mining Marshals Initiative in 2023 as part of efforts to formalise the sector, protect licensed miners, and curb economic sabotage.
The initiative, jointly coordinated by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, forms a critical part of President Bola Tinubu’s broader drive to diversify the economy beyond oil and promote value addition in the mining industry.
