Reps seek stronger reforms to tackle illegal mining, money laundering in extractive sector

Nigeria's House of Representatives is launching a significant push to curb illegal mining, bolster security, and halt illicit financial flows within the nation's vital extractive sector. Lawmakers have issued a stern warning that the ongoing unchecked exploitation of the country's rich mineral deposits is not only siphoning off substantial revenues but also posing a grave threat to national security.

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Nigeria is blessed. Few nations on earth carry the range and richness of mineral deposits that lie across our states, gold, lithium, tin, coal, tantalite and many more. On paper, these resources should be transforming livelihoods, funding schools and hospitals, and strengthening our national economy.

Rep. Sanni Egidi Abdulraheem, Chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Mineral Exploitation, Security and Anti-Money Laundering, highlighted the stark contrast between Nigeria's abundant resources, including gold, lithium, tin, and coal, and the lack of sustainable economic development. He attributed this gap to rampant illegal mining, weak enforcement mechanisms, and the laundering of proceeds that rightfully belong to the Nigerian people.

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Yet, for too long, a troubling gap has persisted between the wealth in our ground and the prosperity in our communities. That gap has a name: illegal mining, weak enforcement, and the laundering of proceeds that should belong to the Nigerian people.

The committee, established to address these critical issues, has begun engaging with relevant government agencies. Abdulraheem emphasized that effective oversight necessitates accurate information and stated the committee will compel cooperation where necessary, having already issued summons to some entities. He stressed that tackling this complex challenge requires a collaborative approach involving regulators, security agencies, financial intelligence institutions, state governments, traditional rulers, licensed operators, and civil society groups.

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No single agency, no single arm of government, and certainly no single committee of this House can resolve this crisis alone.

Abdulraheem assured legitimate mining operators that they are not the target of this initiative. Instead, the committee views them as partners in ensuring that mineral exploitation is conducted responsibly and benefits the nation. The lawmaker called on the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office to provide essential licensing and regulatory data to support the reform efforts. He also urged enhanced collaboration among the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mining Marshals, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to effectively combat illegal mining and trace illicit transactions.

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You are not the target of this exercise. Rather, you are our partners in demonstrating that mineral exploitation, d