The federal government of Nigeria has commissioned the Mines Marshals from a unit of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps to tackle the menace of illegal mining and smuggling of solid minerals from Nigeria.
According to Leadership News, the event was held at the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in Abuja on Thursday.
It would be recalled that the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, affirmed the resolve of the Federal Government to foreclose the acquisition of mining licences by prospective investors without requisite plans for local value addition.
Alake also stated that the government’s stance now prohibits the exportation of mineral resources such as lithium, gold, and similar commodities.
Instead, these minerals must undergo processing within Nigeria, fostering increased value and local benefit for the communities where they are sourced.
A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, said the minister gave the commitment while hosting members of the House Committee on Solid Minerals on an oversight visit to the ministry on Tuesday in Abuja.
