By Fatima Saka
The federal government of Nigeria has raised concerns on the increase of insecurity in mining operations, leading to environmental degradation causing threats to the nation’s economy and dwellers.
This follows as the Federal Ministries of Solid Minerals Development and Environment in collaboration to ensure that mining operations in the country have minimal adverse impact on the environment, in line with international best practices.
It was agreed upon as the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, received the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, in his office on Monday in Abuja,
Reiterating to the commitment of the federal government to secure mining areas, Dr Alake said this will whilst theremoving impediments to seamless operations and ensuring mining processes conform to global standards of negligible harmful impact on the environment.
In his response, Mr. Lawal emphasized that issues of insecurity in mining sites and the need to protect the environment from degradation as a result of mining operations dominated deliberations with his host.
“Recently, the Minister launched a solid minerals roadmap, which I think took care of the issue of the environment because whenever there is mining, the environment will be affected one way or the other. So, we are working very closely to see that whatever is being done will be within the limit of tolerable impact on the environment”, the Minister added.
