The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has intensified efforts to ensure safe and lawful mining activities across the territory following an inspection of quarry and mine sites in the Bwari Area Council.

The inspection was conducted by the Department of Solid Minerals and Allied Matters (DSMAM) as part of the administration’s efforts to safeguard lives, protect the environment and enforce compliance with approved mining standards.

Leading one of the inspection teams, the Deputy Director of the Quarry and Economic Ecology Division, Timothy Shemang, said the exercise was carried out in line with the FCTA’s mandate to ensure that mining operators comply with established safety and environmental regulations.

FCTA Inspects Quarry Sites in Bwari

The inspection focused on key compliance areas, including operational safety, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), environmental management and the availability of statutory documents.

Officials also verified operators’ valid operating licences, surface rent receipts and mine clearance permits during the exercise.

Shemang said the FCTA was committed to maintaining a transparent relationship with mining operators while ensuring strict adherence to regulatory requirements.

He, however, warned that operators engaging in illegal activities or failing to meet statutory obligations would face sanctions.

“Any operator who fails to pay surface rent or obtain the required clearance permit risks sanctions, including suspension or closure,” Shemang cautioned.

He added that the administration would continue to enforce the Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) approved for mining activities within the FCT.

Operators Issued Compliance Notices

While some of the inspected sites were found to be operating in compliance with the required standards, others were issued compliance notices over identified lapses.

The violations included inadequate use of PPE, insufficient safety signage and deficiencies in statutory documentation.

The inspection comes amid concerns over unregulated quarrying activities and their potential impact on the environment and communities across the Federal Capital Territory.

The department also highlighted the need for greater regulation of industrial rock blasting, particularly in areas considered vulnerable to geological hazards.

Shemang urged mining companies to cooperate with DSMAM and comply with all regulatory requirements, stressing that maintaining a safe mining environment is essential for protecting workers and host communities.

The DSMAM said it would continue to promote responsible mineral resource management in the FCT while working to achieve industrial harmony, environmental protection and sustainable development.

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Governor Nasir Idris made the disclosure on Thursday while receiving the Emir of Yauri, Dr. Muhammad Zayyanu Abdullahi, and a delegation of stakeholders during a courtesy visit to the Government House in Birnin Kebbi.

He revealed that Romania—recognized globally for its mining expertise—has expressed formal interest in signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kebbi State to kickstart the joint mining venture.

“Romania, one of the leading countries in mining, has shown interest in signing an MoU with the Kebbi State Government to establish a mining company in Yauri and Ngaski,” Governor Idris stated.

This prospective partnership complements an existing agreement with a Chinese investor to set up a Lithium Production Plant in Ngaski, a project expected to generate over 27,000 direct and indirect jobs, with a particular focus on youth employment.

Describing the Yauri Emirate’s mineral endowments as a “divine gift,” the Governor noted that these natural resources could serve as a catalyst for industrial growth and economic diversification in the state.

He also thanked the Emir and the people of Yauri for their continued support and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering traditional institutions and promoting statewide development.

Earlier, Emir Zayyanu Abdullahi expressed appreciation for ongoing infrastructure and social projects in the Emirate, describing Governor Idris as a steadfast supporter of the region.

In his remarks, the State APC Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kana-Zuru, called for political unity in Kebbi South, urging stakeholders to rally behind the administration’s people-focused initiatives.

Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Yakubu Bala Tafida, who also welcomed the Governor back from his pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, commended the administration for progress in education, road development, solar lighting, water access, and other essential services.

Tafida further appealed for the rehabilitation of the Yauri Airstrip, highlighting its potential to improve connectivity and attract investment to the region.

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The National Housing Policy of 1991 outlines Nigeria’s government commitment to ensuring all Nigerians have access to decent and affordable housing.

The right to housing is a fundamental human right recognised in various international treaties and declarations to which Nigeria is a signatory.

However, affordable housing has eluded millions of Nigerians and has become a pipe dream, with the residents of Takushara being no exception.

Affordable housing for the residents of the Takushara community, located after the Apo Mechanic Village in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has remained a mirage. Residents groan over the area’s sharp increase in house rent due to the massive migration of workers and local miners.

The local mining community, known for its rich mineral resources such as Sodalite, Aventurine, and Lithium, has attracted local miners, foreign expatriates, and workers within Abuja. This influx has overstretched the community’s infrastructure, including housing, education, roads, and water.

When Housing TV Africa visited the community, our correspondent witnessed the low presence of government intervention within the area. The access road leading to the community is in deplorable condition and disrepair. Residents who graduate from junior secondary school have to send their wards to Government Senior Secondary School Apo Resettlement or Government Senior Secondary School Kabusa, which is ten kilometers away.

Speaking to our correspondent about the spike in real estate prices within the area, the village head, Alhaji Muhammed Saidu, appealed to the federal government and the Federal Capital Territory Administration to upgrade the community and build affordable houses for locals and workers to reduce the huge cost of building on private individuals and developers.

Local miners’ activities in the area are inadvertently affecting the locals’ houses. Blasts from stones and other mining activities have left some houses with cracks and weakened foundations. The Makama of Takushara, Alhaji Tanko Umar, told our reporter that although the practice of open blasting of rocks and stones within the area has stopped, the occasional noise from mining and its environmental impact continues to affect residents.

Takushara, with an estimated population of ten thousand, is located thirty kilometers away from the city center. It lacks modern amenities such as piped water, access feeder roads, and has nucleated settlement arrangements. With no secondary school, it has continued to play home to many city workers who cannot pay the high rent in the city and its satellite towns.

Is Takushara really affordable for residents of the Federal Capital Territory who flock there for their housing needs? We spoke to Mr. Sani Halilu Bala, the community youth leader and a real estate agent, who provided the average cost of rental for different classes of houses. “For a studio apartment, prices range from three hundred thousand naira to five hundred thousand naira. A one-bedroom flat ranges from six hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand naira. A two-bedroom apartment ranges from nine hundred thousand naira to one million, two hundred thousand naira, and a three-bedroom apartment ranges from one million, three hundred thousand naira to one million, five hundred thousand naira.”

Mr Sani Halilu Bala further appealed to landlords within the area to consider the economic situation within the country and be flexible with the payment of rent to ease tenants’ financial burden.

The plight of Takushara residents underscores the broader challenges facing FCT residents in securing affordable housing. The soaring rents, driven by an influx of workers and local miners, have placed significant financial strain on the community, highlighting the urgent need for government intervention and infrastructure development.

The ongoing construction of a divisional police station and road construction works in the area, once completed, will likely further hike rental prices and open up the real estate sector within that corridor.

The post Takushara Apo Residents in Abuja Beg for Affordable Housing Amid Rising Rents and Mining Impact appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

Formally receiving the marshals drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) from the Commandant-General, Abubakar Audi, representing the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Alake charged the new operatives to stem theft and all nefarious activities around the nation’s mineral resources so that the nation can reap maximum benefits from its God-given resources.

It will be recalled that as a result of the efforts of the presidential Inter-ministerial committee on securing natural resources chaired by Dr. Alake, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Ojo, a few weeks ago launched the NSCDC-led mines marshal, which represents the first layer of the new security architecture to secure the mining environment.

With a command structure spread across the 36 states and the FCT, the mines marshal will have their command and control domiciled in the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development(MSMD), with an initial 60 operatives deployed in each state and the FCT.

Highlighting the role played by his interior counterpart in the evolution of the new security outfit, Dr. Alake commended Hon. Olubunmi-Ojo for putting words to actions and working tirelessly with the solid minerals ministry to achieve the feat.

READ ALSO: Alake Vows to Empower Women in Mining Sector

“Today’s event of unveiling and formally handing over the specially trained and selected civil defence structure to engage illegal miners and sanitise our mining environment was also part of what we conceived at the inter-ministerial committee chaired by me. I am very happy to let the public know that from the outset we said are going to tackle insecurity in the mining sector and the first batch of the security apparati is what we are launching today, the Minister added.

The mines marshal devised to be an inter-agency security outfit will incorporate special operatives from other security agencies like the Nigeria Police, army, amongst others. Its operations will largely be technologically driven.

In his remarks, NSCDC Commandant-General, Abubakar Audi stated that the new mines marshal will give verve to the corps’ mandate of protecting national assets and infrastructure in which solid minerals is a major component.

Audi revealed that the marshals will liaise with mine inspectorate in states to garner intelligence and take directives from the ministry for effective execution of its mandate.

“We have a list of illegal miners across the nation, and we will go after them. Their days are now numbered, “Audi declared.

The Chairman, House Committee on Solid Minerals, Hon. Jonathan Gbefwi, who graced the occasion, expressed satisfaction with the new security outfit, noting that with improved security around mining areas, Nigeria’s economic fortunes is bound for a forward leap.

” When the Minister reeled out his 7-point agenda during his inaugural address, which included the Mines Police, not a few people were sceptical about it. But today, he has matched words with action. On behalf of the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I doff my hat for him and say, “Well done.” You can be rest assured of the continued support and cooperation of the House of Reps and, by extension, the National Assembly, Hon. Gbefwi said.

The new Mines Marshal is led by a Commander, Chief Superintendent of Corps, CSC Attah John Onoja.

Segun Tomori

Special Assistant on Media.
Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development.

21st March, 2024.

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