The Chairman of State Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee Kogi Chapter Hajiya Hassiat Ozavize Suleiman joined relevant sector stakeholders in a meeting to review the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007.
According to a press release signed by Ahuoiza Zubair M, Committee Media Rep; the meeting was held to deliberate and review the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act established in 2007, with a view to finetuning the structure of mining authorities and their responsibilities, the entitlement to mining and the oversight of safety in and around the mines, as well as plugging any aspect of the Mining process where lapses may occur in the Act.
The meeting was organised by the Legal department of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and was well attended. Deliberations were exhaustive as every aspect of the extant law was critically reviewed, and existing lacuna identified. The attendees were divided into groups to discuss the merits and deficiencies existing therein and propose amendments to the entire Act.
Hajiya Suleiman in her presentation to the ongoing discourse, proposed an update of sections of the Act which established MIREMCO to include even clearer terms of reference and delimitation of functions. The Chairman’s presentation also proposed the legalised recognition and formalization of the activities of Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in the country, and also a proposal to decentralise the registration process for prospective Mineral title holders.
The stakeholders meeting was a one-day discourse to collate submissions from sector professionals and gatekeepers alike, with the hopes of codifying them into law.
