FG approves N2.5bn for satellite gadgets to track illegal miners
The Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its third meeting of the year on Monday, approved the procurement of N2.5 billion worth of satellite gadget to track illegal miners.
Mr Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, said this while briefing State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting.
He said the technology was an integrated solution framework to track unlicensed, unregulated, underreported mining activities.
The minister said the deployment of the technology would curb revenue leakages, illegal operations, extraction and exploitation of the country’s minerals.
“We are procuring satellite equipment and satellite gadgets that will be installed in strategic places all over the country that would enable us to have a visual effect in real time of the operations that are ongoing in sites all over the country.
“There will be a centre like a screen in the operation centre, the mines martial centre, and in my office as well.
“At a glance, at the click of a button, you can surf any mine site and see the operations there: the volume of the mineral extracted, the number of trucks going out, and, of course, the security situation in the environment,” said the minister.
Alake said his ministry introduced the technology in addition to a two-prong strategy to combat illegal mining, which include persuasive and coercive strategies.
He explained that the persuasive strategy entailed appealing to the sense of responsibility of artisanal miners to form cooperatives.
“When they form cooperatives, they become structured, formalised and legalised, and their operation can now add some value to the nation.
“When they form cooperatives, they become bankable. They can even have access to financial institutions to procure loans to expand their businesses.
“And of course, it means they have to pay their obligations to the Nigerian state,” he said.
Alake said the ministry has so far persuaded illegal and artisanal miners to form over 300 cooperatives.
According to him, the coercive strategy is for those who remain recalcitrant in their operations.
“We used the coercive measure, and that is epitomised by the Mining Marshalls that we established. To date, we have arrested, apprehended, prosecuted and convicted illegal operators, including foreigners,” he said. (NAN)
