November 10, (THEWILL) – Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa has urged the federal and state governments to step up enforcement and regulatory measures to combat illegal mining, following a deadly pit collapse in a national reserve spanning Gashaka in Taraba and Toungo in Adamawa.
The November 6 tragedy has left about 30 gold miners feared dead in Gashaka-Gumti National Park’s buffer zone.
Expressing deep concern, the group noted the recurring collapse of illegal mines nationwide, questioning the efficacy of the Mines Surveillance Task Team and other monitoring bodies.
“Despite regulations, illegal mining persists, revealing enforcement gaps that often come at the expense of vulnerable communities,” it stated.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, highlighted the extensive exploitation in illegal and abandoned mining camps, frequently involving foreign—often Chinese—operators in states such as Nasarawa, Osun, and Ekiti.
“Artisanal miners, including impoverished locals, women, and children, risk their lives working in hazardous conditions with minimal safety equipment, digging as deep as 200 feet with mere shovels,” he said.
The organisation stressed the urgent need to address the poverty-driven conditions pushing locals into unsafe mining.
Oluwafemi warned that, as global demand for minerals surges in support of a green transition, Nigeria’s mineral-rich communities risk enduring cycles of exploitation unless granted a stake in their resources.
CAPPA criticised the prohibitive costs tied to formalising artisanal mining, noting that recent fee hikes by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development have made it even harder for small-scale miners to legalize operations.
“The fee for a Small-Scale Mining Lease was raised from N10,000 to N300,000 for two Cadastre units—unaffordable for many impoverished miners,” the organisation observed, adding that such barriers enable corporate entities to monopolise leases and exploit artisanal laborers.
Beyond financial costs, the bureaucratic requirements—like a pre-feasibility study and proof of capital—are often unattainable for many locals.
It recommended lowering fees, simplifying application processes, and offering technical support to empower small-scale miners to pursue safer, legal operations.
The group also called for rigorous oversight of corporate mining entities and demanded accountability for environmental and human rights violations. It urged state governments to enforce stricter penalties, including license revocations and financial penalties, to discourage regulatory breaches by corporations.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
