The House of Representatives has renewed calls for comprehensive illegal mining reforms, warning that unlawful mineral exploitation, weak regulatory enforcement and illicit financial flows are undermining Nigeria’s economy, fuelling insecurity and denying the country billions in legitimate revenue. The concerns were raised during a High-Level Stakeholders Workshop on Extractive Industry Governance held in Abuja, where lawmakers and industry stakeholders discussed strategies for strengthening governance across the nation’s solid minerals sector.
Chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Mineral Exploitation, Security and Anti-Money Laundering, Rep. Sanni Egidi Abdulraheem, said Nigeria’s abundant deposits of gold, lithium, tin, coal, tantalite and other valuable minerals have yet to deliver their full economic benefits because of widespread illegal mining activities.
According to him, the committee was established to investigate the scale of illegal mineral exploitation, identify illicit financial flows linked to the sector, assess security challenges affecting mining communities and recommend legislative as well as administrative illegal mining reforms. He noted that although Nigeria possesses significant mineral resources capable of driving economic growth, criminal activities and weak enforcement continue to widen the gap between the country’s natural wealth and national development.
Abdulraheem disclosed that the committee has already begun engagements with relevant government agencies and stakeholders while issuing summons where necessary to obtain critical information. He stressed that effective legislative oversight depends on access to accurate records and full institutional cooperation.
The lawmaker described illegal mining as a complex national challenge requiring coordinated action among regulators, security agencies, financial intelligence institutions, state governments, traditional rulers, licensed mining operators and civil society organisations. He also urged the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office to provide comprehensive licensing records and regulatory data needed to strengthen reforms.
The committee chairman called for stronger cooperation among the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mining Marshals, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to improve enforcement against illegal mining and track illicit financial transactions connected to the sector.
Addressing licensed operators, Abdulraheem assured legitimate mining companies that the investigation was not intended to target compliant businesses. Instead, he said responsible operators remain important partners in demonstrating that transparent mineral exploitation can serve as a catalyst for national economic development.
Declaring the workshop open, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, described the committee’s assignment as one of the legislature’s most significant oversight responsibilities.
He warned that continued illegal exploitation of mineral resources has deprived Nigeria of substantial revenue needed to support economic diversification, fiscal stability and job creation. The Speaker encouraged participants to provide honest assessments and practical recommendations that would assist lawmakers in developing effective legislation capable of strengthening the extractive sector.
Representing the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Hajiya Fatima Usman Katsina expressed support for the ongoing engagement, noting that stronger collaboration between federal and state governments would improve governance across the mining industry. She reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to policies that would unlock the sector’s economic potential.
Meanwhile, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, represented by Commander of the Mining Marshals, ACC Attah John Onoja, advocated the establishment of a special court dedicated to prosecuting illegal mining offences. According to the corps, more than 671 suspects involved in illegal mining have been arrested since 2024, while 397 suspects are already facing prosecution.
The NSCDC also reported that enforcement operations have resulted in the closure of several illegal mining sites, improved regulatory compliance and increased government revenue from mining activities. Audi further called for greater investment in drone technology, CCTV surveillance, a national mining situation room, logistics and additional manpower to strengthen ongoing illegal mining reforms and improve enforcement nationwide.
