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Policy advocacy platform tasks Nigerian government on recovery of gold assets in mining sector
Policy advocacy platform tasks Nigerian government on recovery of gold assets in mining sector
By: Michael Mike
The Think Tank on Nigeria (TTON) organisation, a policy advocacy platform has called on Nigerian Government to get more serious about recovery of gold assets in the mining sector through transparent national and international bidding.
This was contained in a-19 point resolution reached after a deliberation which focused on the theme, ’The mining sector and national development’, adding that the recovered gold can be put in a secured vault
The organisation in the communique endorsed by 79 members pointed out that a national mining company should be created to own the assets and be listed on the gold stock exchange in London, United States of America (USA) and Hong Kong.
The other resolutions stated that gold refineries must be established to refine some of the gold from time to time to make ornaments and jewelry for sale locally and internationally.
The advocacy platform added that this same process can be applied to over 36 other minerals available in Nigeria in commercial quantities but currently exploited by artisanal or illegal miners, stressing that government should industrialize the sector by supporting it with more mechanized and advanced mining technology.
Some of the resolutions include: “This would lead to the reduction of unemployment within the country especially within the mining localities. The local miners are knowledgeable, skilled, and organized. All they need is motivation from either the organized corporate sector or people-oriented investors.”
*The Minister that will be appointed to man the Mines and Steel Ministry must possess the requisite knowledge of the industry. He / She, like other Ministers, must be ready to sign a performance contract that will spell out timelines to effectively diversify the Nigerian economy from oil to mining.
*There must be a seamless synergy between the State and Federal Government. The Federal Government must give exploration licenses to the States with the natural minerals; in order to harmonize the artisanal miners properly into cooperative societies.
*There should be a declaration of a state of emergency in this sector as most of the precious minerals are being mined illegally and sold every day without returns to Government. Empowerment of the Local Government Areas to become major stakeholders in these mining sites will ease the tension of insurgency and burden exploitation by some faceless foreigners. Using representative fractions, the Local tier should exercise higher authority over fiscal reality.
*There must be political willpower and readiness from the security operatives to combat the mess of natural resources exploitation in Nigeria. Remedial measures should be put in place by the Regulatory agency or Ministry, mandating Mining companies, to put in place, measures to remediate the environment that has been negatively impacted by mining exploration activities.
*Mining activities leave host communities environmentally devastated. Hence, it became mandatory for them to restore the mined sites to its original topography. Mining operations/activities generate fine dust and soot that are dangerous to humans. Mining companies should be mandated to provide basic primary health facilities to host communities. A dispensary, managed by a local matron, will be ideal in a mining community.
*Where host communities/villages share proximity location with mineral mining locations, for health reasons, such communities should be relocated far from mining locations to prevent health hazards to children and others.
*Government, Ministry, or any other regulatory agency, must create a unit to supervise remedial work to ‘heal’ the environment of local communities that have been devastated by mining operations, with a view to managing the environment, and post- mining operations situation.”
The communique said the locals/villagers must be aware and properly oriented to hold the miners accountable for all forms of land degradation that might have occurred in the process of mining operations.
*Part of the ways to improve what the government is doing is PPP (Public Private Partnership). Considering this private participation, there is a need to break down the value chain, and the participatory roles expected from the private sector, this step of PPP could stop and stabilize the theft currently experienced in the mining industry
*The Nigerian Customs Service must rise to the occasion of their responsibilities to curb the excesses of illegal exportation of these resources out of Nigeria which evidently goes through the border post of Nigeria.
*The 13% derivative approach given to the oil producing states should be applicable to the mining host states. The same 13% derivative should be allocated to the mining host states. Environmental impact assessment, health risk analysis, and other safety procedures must be adopted to ensure residents of these mining locations are free of health endemics.”
The organisation has 286 members of various professions, drawn from the geo-political zones of Nigeria, charged with discussing Nigerian politics, as well as analysing political candidates and policies.
*The goal is to proffer solutions to policies and developmental challenges which the country might be faced with, through diverse contributions of expertise in different fields, which could be converted to veritable actions if adopted, to bring needed positive changes.
The discussion moderated by the Convener, Engr. Dideolu Falobi, noted that despite the sector’s potential to increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the nation, it has remained depleted, underutilized, and underproductive to the disadvantage of national development.
‘Rather, the sector has become tainted with consistent. Today, the labour force in the mining sector is largely informal, under-trained, and underpaid among others. How can that be changed?’, the meeting stated.
Policy advocacy platform tasks Nigerian government on recovery of gold assets in mining sector
VP Shettima To Represent Nigeria At 2nd UN Food Systems Summit In Addis Ababa
By: Our Reporter
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has departed Abuja for Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, to represent Nigeria at the second United Nations (UN) Food Systems Summit being held from July 27 to 29, 2025.
Senator Shettima will join other global leaders at the high-level event on advancing the transformation of the coffee value chain as well as engage in other roundtables and meetings aimed at bolstering Nigeria’s food security drive.
The summit will bring together global leaders to reflect on progress made since the inaugural 2021 UN Food Systems Summit and accelerate commitments towards building resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems.
The VP will also participate in other events on the sidelines of the summit designed to spotlight real-world examples of food systems transformation, promote knowledge exchange and partnership, and inspire collective action through evidence-based solutions and creative expression.
One of the events on the sidelines of the summit is a ministerial roundtable on public finance, trade, and responsible investment to accelerate the transition, field trips, and networking sessions.
At a recent briefing by the Task Force on the 2nd UN Food Systems Summit, VP Shettima had outlined three key objectives for Nigeria’s delegation: positioning Nigeria as a leader of thought on African food systems reform, leveraging international partnerships aligned with domestic priorities, and advancing a private sector-led model for continental food transformation.
The summit is organised in collaboration with the United Nations, the governments of Ethiopia and Italy. #UNFSS2025
The Vice President is expected back in Nigeria after his participation in the activities at the summit.
VP Shettima To Represent Nigeria At 2nd UN Food Systems Summit In Addis Ababa
Chinese Businessman, 80-year old Grandma Arrested as NDLEA Seizes “Colos” in Moimoi Satchets
By: Michael Mike
A Chinese businessman, Liang Tak You and an 80-year-old grandma, Mrs. Grace Ekpeme were among those arrested in the course of last week by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in nationwide interdiction operations leading to the seizure of consignments of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis hidden in bean pudding (moimoi) sachets and Canadian Loud, another strong strain of cannabis concealed in canned food items imported from Canada.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, Liang was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last Friday based on actionable intelligence.
He said the suspect, who arrived Nigeria from Bangkok via Dubai, UAE, on Emirates Airline flight, is a Chinese national, naturalised and based in Malaysia, but flew to Thailand where he picked two suitcases filled with 50 parcels of Loud weighing 26.1 kilogrammes before heading to Nigeria via UAE.
Babafemi said upon his arrival at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives who were tracking his movement from his port of departure allowed him to pass through necessary protocols before picking him up on his way out of the airport.
The octogenarian grandma, Mrs. Grace Ekpeme, according to Babafemi, was arrested at Edet-Nsa street, Base Site, Calabar South, Cross River state with over 3 kilogrammes skunk in the early hours of Saturday following intelligence on her drug dealing activities.
He said in Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Wednesday intercepted a suspect Chidi Agbafo along Epe – Ajah expressway while taking consignments of 21.7 kilogrammes Colorado, some of which were packaged in moimoi cooking sachets and 3.8 litres of codeine based syrup in a commercial bus to deliver in Warri and Oghara, Delta state.
The spokesman said at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, a total of 101 kilogrammes Canadian Loud factory packed in 202 tins of imported food item labelled ‘Bean Salad Mix’ and concealed in two Toyota Sienna buses in a container that came from Canada, were recovered, adding that the discovery was made during a joint examination of the container by NDLEA officers, men of Customs Service and other security agencies last Friday.
He said no fewer than 71,000 pills of tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 were recovered from Usman Musa by NDLEA operatives on patrol along Abuja- Kaduna highway last Wednesday when the suspect was travelling with the consignment of opioids in a commercial bus going to Kano.
In Borno, a 30-year-old lady Binta Usman was last Wednesday arrested by NDLEA officers who recovered 30.1 kilogrammes skunk from her house at Muna Moforo area of Maiduguri, with a follow up operation leading to the arrest of her accomplice Bala Abdullahi in the same area of the Borno state capital on Friday.
Babafemi said three brothers: Nanna Ozirinye, Chizom Ozirinye and Maxwell Ozirinye were on Saturday arrested when NDLEA operatives raided a cannabis plantation at bending corner forest, Idoani, Ose local council area of Ondo State where they destroyed 2,500 kilogrammes of skunk on an hectare of land and recovered already processed 121.4 kilogrammes of same psychoactive substance.
In Edo state, NDLEA officers last Wednesday raided the Asakpa community in Benin city, where they arrested a 26-year-old lady Bright Okon and recovered various quantities of Colorado, Loud, Arizona and skunk, all strains of cannabis as well as Methamphetamine from her.
He said while a total of 105.4 kilogrammes skunk was recovered by NDLEA operatives from an abandoned Honda car marked ABC 204 KM in Keffi, Nasarawa state, their counterparts in Niger state last Monday arrested a suspect Bashir Abdullahi with 6,400 pills of tramadol 225mg at Kasuwan Gwari area of Minna, even as a notorious drug dealer Jamiu Omolaja was taken into custody and 113 kilogrammes skunk retrieved from his enclave in Ifo, Ogun state last Thursday after a violent resistance and attack on NDLEA operatives by members of his gang.
Babafemi said a total of 10,910 capsules of tramadol were seized from a suspect Adamu Adamu (a.k.a Dankyado) by NDLEA officers on patrol along Gombe-Bajoga road, Gombe state on Saturday, while operatives in Kogi state last Thursday intercepted a consignment of skunk concealed inside garri, dried scent leaves, and other food items along Okene-Lokoja highway.
He disclosed that a follow-up operation in Abuja led to the arrest of 27-year-old Kindness Bala who was planning to travel to Katsina state with the cargo and later to Qatar.
Similarly, operatives in Kogi on Saturday recovered 23,600 pills of tramadol, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 700 grammes of skunk from a truck at a motor park in Ayingba area of the state.
Babafemi said the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of MMIA, Apapa, Lagos, Cross River, Edo, Ondo, Nasarawa, Borno, Niger, Ogun, Gombe, Kaduna and Kogi commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
Chinese Businessman, 80-year old Grandma Arrested as NDLEA Seizes “Colos” in Moimoi Satchets
Police arrest man for killing mother-in-law in Kogi over false theft alarm
By: Zagazola Makama
The Kogi State Police Command has arrested a man, Yayu Musa, for allegedly killing his 50-year-old mother-in-law, Atayi Abdul, in Olla Community of Omala Local Government Area.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the incident occurred on Friday, July 25, at about 8:00 p.m., when the suspect lured the deceased to her farm under the pretense that thieves were stealing palm fruits from it.
Upon arrival at the farm, Musa reportedly attacked and slaughtered the woman with a knife.
Police detectives were immediately mobilised to the scene where photographs of the crime scene were taken. The suspect was arrested and is currently in custody.
According to police sources, the family of the deceased refused evacuation of the corpse to the hospital for autopsy, opting for immediate burial in accordance with religious and cultural practices.
The command has deployed joint security patrol teams to the community to prevent a possible breakdown of law and order due to rising tension.
Investigation into the motive behind the killing is ongoing.
Police arrest man for killing mother-in-law in Kogi over false theft alarm
VP Shettima To Represent Nigeria At 2nd UN Food Systems Summit In Addis Ababa
Chinese Businessman, 80-year old Grandma Arrested as NDLEA Seizes “Colos” in Moimoi Satchets
Tuggar Congratulates Super Falcons on 10th WAFCON Win, Praises Their Resilience
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