The Federal Government in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has unveiled a policy document that seeks to regulate mercury use in gold mining in Nigeria.
UNIDO also work with Nigeria’s ministries of environment, mines, health and steel development to develop a policy document on National Action Plan for the Reduction and Eventual Elimination of Mercury Use in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining sector in Nigeria.
The partners also launched the National Policy on Solid Waste Management as well as National Policy on Plastic Waste Management at the event in Abuja on Monday.
The Regional Director and UNIDO Representative to ECOWAS, Jean Bakole, said the policy document was an obligation for Nigeria, as a party under the Minamata Convention and would help drive investments in the mining sector.
He said, “This plan will provide Nigeria with current data and an up-to-date situation analysis of gold mining in Nigeria, the document will also appeal to both local and foreign investors.
“More importantly, it has mapped out a way forward for gold mining and its associated mercury management in Nigeria.
“The NAP has developed the national strategy on gold mining in Nigeria and its associated mercury use by facilitating formalisation, access to finance, among others.”
