Nigeria has lifted a ban on mining exploration in the northwestern state of Zamfara after a five-year suspension, the mining minister said, citing improved security.
Mining activities in Zamfara, which holds huge gold, lithium and copper deposits, were suspended in 2019 following incessant bandit attacks.
“The security operatives’ giant strides have led to a notable reduction in the level of insecurity, and with the ban on exploration lifted, Zamfara’s mining sector can gradually begin contributing to the nation’s revenue pool,” Dele Alake, mining minister, said in a statement on Sunday.
During the suspension, he said illegal miners had exploited the state’s resources.
Africa’s biggest oil producer, which is also rich in gold, limestone and zinc, wants its mining industry that contributes less than 1% of its GDP to play a bigger role in its effort to diversify the economy away from oil.
To try to encourage investors, it has introduced reforms, including revoking unused licences, offering investors a 75% stake in a new national mining company, cutting exports of unprocessed minerals, and enforcing compliance with rules against illegal mining.
In its efforts to build capacity, Nigeria at the start of this month signed a training and development agreement with France.
“We need all the support we can get, including technical, financial, and capacity-building assistance from abroad. This is not the first agreement of its kind; similar partnerships have been established with Germany and Australia,” Alake said.
(By Isaac Anyaogu; Editing by Barbara Lewis)
