Mining operators across the country have condemned the six-month suspension of mining activities proposed by the 19 Northern governors, warning that the measure would worsen insecurity rather than curb it.
The Miners Association of Nigeria, in a strong pushback on Wednesday, said previous mining bans imposed by some state governments only succeeded in driving licensed operators away, leaving mining fields open for bandits and illegal miners to take control.
Speaking to our source, the association’s President, Dele Ayanleke, said evidence from states such as Zamfara showed that mining bans had never translated into improved security.
Background to the Proposed Ban
The Northern Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council had on Monday announced plans to halt all mining activities — both artisanal and licensed — for six months.
The decision, contained in a communiqué issued after their joint meeting in Kaduna, was based on claims that criminal mining networks were fuelling banditry and providing financial resources for armed groups.
The leaders advised President Bola Tinubu to direct the Minister of Solid Minerals to enforce the suspension to allow for a full audit and revalidation of mining licences. They also unveiled plans to mobilise N228bn to combat banditry across the region.
‘Ban Will Backfire,’ Miners Warn
Ayanleke described the governors’ approach as “misguided and counter-productive.”
He said:
“For several years now, mining activities in Zamfara have been said to be banned. But insecurity in the state has continued to get worse in spite of the suspension.”
According to him, such bans typically push out legitimate operators — the only actors the government can regulate — while criminals remain on the fields unhindered.
> “What we have observed is that when governors ban mining, they only succeed in sending out legitimate operators.
The government does not deploy enough security to enforce compliance. Once lawful operators leave, illegal miners, including bandits, take over these sites,” he added.
Ayanleke stressed that the government’s failure to provide adequate security personnel and logistics makes any suspension ineffective and potentially dangerous.
“Denying lawful operators access to sites gives criminal groups total control of mineral resources. They use these resources to weaponise themselves and expand their activities,” he said.
Fear of Strengthening Criminal Networks
The association warned that shutting down mining without strengthening on-ground security would “empower the very criminals the government claims to be fighting.”
“It means that banning mining cannot stop insecurity. If anything, it increases the resources available to these criminals,” Ayanleke noted.
The group urged the governors to rethink the policy and instead work with federal authorities to increase security deployment, regulate artisanal miners, and protect licensed operators.
