Nigeria’s Solid Minerals being illegally mined, stolen — NEC raises alarm

…Mandates Uzodimma Committee to Probe Illegal Mining Activities

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

The National Economic Council (NEC) has raised alarm implicit the large-scale amerciable mining and theft of Nigeria’s coagulated minerals, including gold, informing that the proceeds are being siphoned without remittance to the nationalist treasury.

In response, the Council extended the mandate of the Committee connected Crude Oil Theft and Pipeline Vandalisation, chaired by Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma, to besides analyse amerciable mining successful the coagulated minerals sector.

Briefing State House correspondents aft the NEC gathering presided implicit by Vice President Kashim Shettima astatine the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Governor Uzodimma said the hold followed the presumption of his committee’s study connected crude lipid theft.

He explained that NEC’s determination reflects increasing interest astir gross leakages from the unregulated exploitation of mineral resources.

“Our coagulated minerals are being mined and stolen without contributing to nationalist revenue,” Uzodimma said. “NEC has present directed our committee to enactment with applicable agencies to guarantee that the country’s coagulated minerals — specified arsenic golden and different invaluable resources — are decently accounted for.”

The politician noted that NEC’s directive underscores the Council’s determination to unafraid nationalist assets and amended gross inflow from extractive industries.

He besides reported that Nigeria’s regular crude lipid accumulation had accrued importantly from pre-2023 levels of astir 700,000–800,000 barrels per time to implicit 1.7 cardinal barrels per day, attributing the betterment to a collaborative information model involving regulators, operators, authorities governors, and the military.

“This occurrence was achieved done an enhanced concern betwixt the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Navy, and information agencies, alongside beardown assemblage engagement,” helium said.

Uzodimma added that the expanded inter-ministerial committee volition present absorption connected some lipid and coagulated minerals, coordinating with different authorities bodies to adjacent gaps successful monitoring, licensing, and gross collection.

On information successful offshore and creek areas, helium emphasized the request to fortify surveillance crossed export corridors to deter amerciable entries and support accumulation infrastructure.

When asked to disclose the caller presumption of notation and timeline for submitting the expanded report, the politician said the committee would find its operational model successful owed course.

“It is the aforesaid interest astir amerciable mining and the theft of our coagulated minerals without due documentation oregon publication to nationalist gross that informed NEC’s determination today,” helium explained. “We volition research each avenues to code the concern and guarantee accountability.”

The station Nigeria’s Solid Minerals being illegally mined, stolen — NEC raises alarm appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.