The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the procurement of N2.5 billion worth of satellite technology to combat illegal mining activities in Nigeria. This decision was made during the third meeting of the year on Monday.
Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, made the announcement while briefing State House correspondents after the meeting. He explained that the satellite technology is part of a comprehensive solution to tackle unlicensed, unregulated, and underreported mining operations in the country.
The minister emphasized that the technology would help address the revenue losses, unregulated practices, and illegal exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral resources caused by illegal mining.
“We are procuring satellite equipment and gadgets to be installed at strategic locations across the country. This will enable real-time monitoring of mining activities nationwide,” Alake said. “There will be a central operations hub with a screen at the mines marshal center and in my office. With the click of a button, we can view any mining site, observe operations, monitor the volume of mineral extracted, track the number of trucks leaving the site, and assess the security situation.”
Alake also outlined a two-pronged strategy to address illegal mining. The first approach is persuasive, encouraging artisanal miners to form cooperatives. He noted that once miners join cooperatives, they become formalized, legal, and more structured, contributing to the economy.
“When miners form cooperatives, they become eligible for bank loans to expand their operations. This also means they will be obligated to meet their responsibilities to the Nigerian state,” Alake added.
To date, more than 300 cooperative societies have been established under this initiative. For those resistant to this approach, the ministry has implemented a coercive strategy. “We have used a coercive measure, exemplified by the Mining Marshalls we established. So far, we have arrested, prosecuted, and convicted illegal operators, including foreigners,” Alake said.
