By Chimezie Godfrey
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite has said that the nation’s mining laws and regulations were in need of reforms in order to guarantee adequate protection of mining host communities.
He made this assertion Friday at Abuja at the end of the inaugural summit of the federation of Nigerian Mining Host Communities.
Represented by the Director of Mines Environmental Compliance, Engr. Salim Salam, he said that mining holds the potential of prospering their host communities when done in a sustainable manner.
He however pointed out that the Nigeria’s extractive industry is froth with numerous problems which includes, fiscal injustice, environmental degradation, proliferation of abandoned open mining pits, security challenges, among others.
The Minister added that these problems were exacerbated by gaps in the laws, including failure of investors to comply with mining laws and regulations, lack of inter-ministerial coordination, and failure to respect the rights of mining host communities to free, prior and informed consent as prescribed by the ECOWAS Mining Directive by which Nigeria is bound.
Adegbite noted that a vast majority of mining host communities like their hydrocarbon counterparts are marked by underdevelopment, while the potential for development continues to go unrealized.
“We acknowledge the testimonials of mining host community representatives from Ebonyi, Gombe, kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara states as being accurate account the contexts of mining host communities across Nigeria.”
He noted that gender and disability issues are often left out of conversation and planning around mining thereby disenfranchising them.
“We realise that the regime of mining laws and regulations are in need of reforms in order to guarantee adequate protection of host mining communities,”he said.
The Minister also pointed out that the shrinking fresh water resources is fast assuming a crises dimension in most mining host communities across Nigeria, adding that water is at the nerve of the existence of mining host communities and yet, mining is a water dependent resource.In the light of the above, recommendations were made which includes that mining laws and policies must reflect the reality the reality that more than 80% of mining activities in Nigeria are artisanal in nature and therefore must make provision for these activities, and ensure that artisanal mining contributes to government revenue, while respecting environmental safeguard.It was also recommended that government must ensure that mining host communities are actively engaged and make inputs into impact assessments affecting the communities before they are endorsed for projects.Others are that fiscal Justice is an imperative for ensuring the development and sustainability of mining host communities. Review of the regime of royalties and taxes for mining revenue to ensure the mop up of revenue for a reasonable allocation trickles back to the derivative host communities, among others.Other discussants in the summit were NEITI, RMFAC, FMEV, Water Resources and National Social Investment Office, including Royal Fathers.
