The Federal Government has announced a comprehensive crackdown on illegal gold mining and mineral smuggling across the country as part of ongoing efforts to protect national resources and boost internally generated revenue.
The decision was reached during the 153rd National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who heads the NEC Ad-hoc Committee on Crude Oil Theft Prevention and Control, disclosed that the committee’s mandate has been expanded to include tackling illegal mining and mineral smuggling.
Uzodinma explained that the Council’s decision reflects the government’s determination to plug revenue leakages in the solid minerals sector and reinforce inter-agency collaboration.
“Our committee presented an interim report to NEC, and it was well received. The Council decided to extend our scope to cover solid minerals because illegal mining is depriving the nation of significant revenue,” Uzodinma said.
He noted that the committee will collaborate with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), and security agencies to combat illicit gold exports and unregulated quarrying.
Nigeria reportedly loses over $9 billion annually to illegal mineral extraction, according to NEITI, with criminal syndicates exploiting weak regulations and porous borders.
In 2024, the Ministry of Solid Minerals revoked over 900 inactive licenses and introduced a national gold reserve policy to enhance traceability and accountability in mineral trade.
Governor Uzodinma assured that the expanded committee will adopt the same security framework used to fight oil theft to safeguard solid minerals, promising a full progress report at the next NEC meeting in November.
