The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has stated that illegal mining in the northern part of Nigeria is denying the country $9bn annually.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to put an end to the activities of the illegal miners.
Abbas lamented that the illegal miners are responsible for about 80 per cent of the current insecurity in the northwest part of the country in particular.
The lawmaker disclosed this at the investigative hearing, on the activities of illegal mining in the Solid mineral sector in the country, on Monday, in Abuja
He said the host communities have continued to live in fear, abject poverty and deprivation, instead of getting benefits that should have accrued to their communities.
The speaker urged the government to act now, stressing that illegal mining activity has caused Nigeria a socio-economic challenge, leading to the loss of the ecosystem and high poverty level especially among farmers.
Tajudeen said, “Reports indicate that an estimated 80% of mining in the North West region is carried out illegally with the mining of largely untapped mineral deposits in the area at the root of community violence.”
Chairman of the House Committee on Solid Minerals, Jonathan Gbefwi, said illegal mining poses substantial risks to the nation’s economy as Nigeria loses over $9 billion annually from the activities of illegal miners.
Gbefwi said the Nigerian government receives only three per cent of royalty paid to its coffers from the sector by a few of the licensed miners, lamenting that unregulated exploitation of the natural resources jeopardises the sustainability of the mineral sector, environment degradation and revenue loss.
