The Town Hall Meeting, organized by the North-West office of the Ministry of Solid Minerals, took place in Kafanchan, Jamaa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Addressing the gathering, Kutman Hosea-Ali, the Zonal Mines Coordinator, noted that the ministry's commitment to fostering collaboration and understanding among stakeholders, aiming to create a conducive environment for sustainable mining activities in the state.
Hosea-Ali pinpointed issues of consent, community development agreements, surface rent, and environmental impact assessments as major causes of conflict between host communities and mining companies. He urged mining companies to secure the necessary licenses and permits before mobilizing personnel to the site.
Furthermore, he encouraged artisanal miners to establish small-scale cooperative licenses, emphasizing the importance of operating legally to enhance their activities.
“We are here on behalf of the minister who directed that a meeting of this nature should be held in Kaduna and Kafanchan in particular.
“This is because Southern Kaduna is coming up as an active mining zone; it’s active in the sense that lithium, which is becoming a hot cake globally, is found predominantly here.
“When they give you a mining license, before you do anything go and identify the owners of the land, show your license covers and explain to them all that is needed for proper understanding before proceeding to start mining,” he said.
Earlier, an operative from the Kaduna Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr Eric Billy, reminded the stakeholders that illegal mining was an economic crime that must be reported and offenders made to face the consequences.
“People should try and get the requisite license because there are a lot of those involved in this illegal licensing and when we (EFCC) go after them, they will complain of witch-hunting only for a deeper investigation to reveal they are culpable,” he said.
This was as the operative appealed to traditional and community leaders to always demand a copy of the mining license from companies and miners that operate in their environment.
