By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
FATALITIES AT an illegal mining site in the Gashaka-Gumti National Park, spanning Taraba and Adamawa states, have intensified demands for enforcement against unauthorized mining in Nigeria.
About 30 miners are presumed dead following the collapse of the pit on November 6 in Buffa, a zone now under scrutiny due to safety lapses.
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on federal and state authorities to increase monitoring, expressing concern over the unchecked rise of illicit mining operations.
CAPPA’s says its investigation found illegal camps, reportedly backed by both local and foreign entities, actively exploiting resources in Nasarawa, Osun, and Ekiti, where miners—often impoverished locals, including women and children—dig deep into hazardous pits with minimal safety gear.
According to CAPPA Executive Director,
Akinbode Oluwafemi, these camps leave behind environmental damage and open pits, posing severe risks to surrounding communities.
“Despite existing regulations, illegal mining continues to proliferate, revealing serious gaps in enforcement, often at the expense of local communities,” Oluwafemi remarked.
The organization also noted that structural poverty, driven by systemic exclusion, forces vulnerable populations into high-risk mining.
Amid a global surge in demand for minerals to fuel the “green transition,” CAPPA warned that Nigeria’s mineral-rich communities remain trapped in cycles of exploitation.
In a statement signed by Media Officer, Robert Egbe, it highlighted the risks of resource extraction without community benefit, calling for policy changes that ensure locals gain from their land’s resources.
The organization also criticized the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Department (ASSMD) under the Ministry of Mines and Steel for inadequate support to informal miners.
CAPPA noted prohibitive fees for obtaining a Small-Scale Mining Lease, which jumped from N10,000 to N300,000, along with complex application requirements such as pre-feasibility studies and technical competence proof.
For many artisanal miners with limited education and finances, these barriers are insurmountable, driving them toward illicit, unsafe operations.
CAPPA urged federal reforms to simplify mining applications and lower fees, proposing technical and educational support for small-scale miners.
It also demanded strict corporate accountability for mining companies operating in resource-rich areas, with calls for penalties and license revocations for violations that disregard safety and environmental standards.
Furthermore, the organization warned against using force in managing local communities, emphasizing that forceful tactics often escalate tensions at mining sites.
Oluwafemi advocated for a specialized, respectful task force to oversee mining activities, prioritizing community protection and fair resource allocation, ensuring that the lives and rights of affected communities come first.
