Nigeria's Minister of Mines, Dele Alake, Warns Illegal Miners to "Stop Killing Themselves" by Mining from Abandoned Pits Without Licenses

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The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has issued a stern warning to illegal miners across the country, urging them to stop putting their lives at risk by extracting minerals from abandoned, unlicensed pits. 

The minister issued this warning following a tragic incident where an old tin mining pit collapsed at an unlicensed mining site in Kassa, located in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, resulting in the deaths of seven people.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding the disaster, the minister stated that such loss of lives could have been avoided if the workers had organized themselves into cooperatives and sought the proper permits and licenses to operate openly. 

He emphasized that obtaining such credentials would qualify them for specialized training from the Ministry's Mining Department, providing them with a sustainable livelihood without fear.

The minister revealed that there are over 4,000 abandoned mining pits in Plateau State alone, which were previously dug by former companies, noting that the government is working hard to transform these hazardous pits into beneficial community assets through energy, tourism, and fish farming projects. According to him, partnering with the private sector is the fastest solution to turning dead assets into useful resources.

Finally, the government continues to take steps to protect the environment and public health by utilizing modern technologies such as GIS satellites and artificial intelligence (AI) to locate and reclaim such pits. 

The minister extended his condolences to the government and people of Plateau State, urging all miners across Nigeria to learn a lesson from this massive loss to protect their lives in the future.


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