CSOs decry hazards of mining on communities

Some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have decried major  challenges facing  mining  communities,  like environmental hazards and the rising number of out-of-school children.

The CSOs spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to them, mining communities should receive compensation for the minerals in their areas, and the benefits should not be limited to mining companies alone.

BRANDECONOMY recalls that the Federal Government unveiled the revised guidelines for the Community Development Agreements (CDA) in the mining sector in 2023.

The CDA is a legal document that contains obligations by the Mineral Title Holder (MTH) to host communityies and vice versa.

The move aims to ensure that host communities derive maximum benefits from the operations of mining companies in their areas.

Dr Abdullahi Jabi, Chairman of the North Central Zone, Campaign for Democracy, Human Rights Advocacy, and Civil Society of Nigeria, said that traditional rulers were conniving with mining companies to inflict harm on host communities.

Jabi said that poor governance, weak leadership, and  worsening economic situation had made the mining sector more vulnerable to expatriates, illegally supported by leaders, leaving mining communities to suffer environmental challenges.

“After mining, who takes corrections? Who takes precision of the soil? Who restores the environment back for other purposes and put it into other uses? nobody,”  he said.

He described the situation as complex and linked it to the 33.1 million out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria, as well as the sexual abuse of young girls at mining sites.

“Unemployment is one of the challenges confronting the youths, and they see succor in mining operations mostly illegal mining, ” he said.

The Executive Director, Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), Philip Jakpor, said that most mining communities were underdeveloped and lacked infrastructure such as water, roads, and electricity.

He cited an incident in Nasarawa, where  Chinese firms allegedly polluted the river serving as a water supply to about 12 communities in the state’s mining areas.

He said that the situation led to the death of nine children after they consumed the contaminated water.

According to him, illegal miners exploit communities by taking advantage of poverty in the area to recruit young boys to work in the fields and defend their territories through illegal means.

Jakpor urged the government to allocate 10 per cent of mining revenue to mining communities instead of the five per cent proposed in the review of the Mining Act 2007.

He also called for strict legislative oversight to ensure that companies registered for specific businesses operate within their designated scope.

An environmental expert, Dr Karshie Edward, said that to address the situation, mining communities should be integrated into the reporting protocol for illegal activities and environmental pollution in their areas through awareness campaigns.

He said the approach would educate them on the consequences of illegal mining, particularly its long-term effect on the environment, and encourage them to report such occurrences to the appropriate channels for necessary action.