What is illegal mining?

By Zayyad I. Muhammad

Nigeria’s solid minerals sector presents a bittersweet story for the country and its people, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

Mining has created wealth, jobs and economic opportunities for individuals and communities. In mineral-rich areas, it has provided livelihoods and opened new sources of income. At the same time, illegal mining activities have contributed to insecurity, environmental degradation, exploitation and social disorder in some communities.

Since 2023, Nigeria’s solid minerals sector has undergone significant reforms aimed at modernising the industry, strengthening regulation and enforcement, attracting investment, and moving the country away from the export of raw minerals towards local processing and value addition.

There has also been growing interest in critical minerals, particularly lithium, alongside efforts to formalise artisanal mining and improve government’s revenue from the sector.

Some reports say revenue generated by the solid minerals sector rose from about N16 billion in 2023 to N38 billion in 2024 and approximately N68.1 billion to over N70 billion in 2025.

The Niger State tragedy in which  37 young lives were lost is being linked to illegal mining, official negligence and unprofessionalism by some Civil Defense officers.

Illegal mining is the exploration, extraction, processing or trading of mineral resources without the licences, permits or regulatory approvals required by law, or in violation of the conditions governing such activities.

Nigeria has an established legal and regulatory framework for mining, principally under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, alongside subsequent legislation governing the sector. The Nigeria Tax Act 2025, which took effect on January 1, 2026, also introduced changes affecting mining taxation and mineral royalties.

Therefore, not every person found around a mining site is necessarily an illegal miner. The important questions include: Who holds the mining title? Is the operation properly licensed? Are the miners operating within the approved area and conditions? Are the required royalties, taxes and fees being paid? And are environmental and safety requirements being observed?

Despite improvements in regulation, modernisation and enforcement, illegal mining, insecurity and environmental degradation remain interconnected challenges in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.

The problem is not simply the absence of laws. Nigeria already has extensive mining legislation and regulatory institutions. Rather, poverty, unemployment, weak enforcement capacity, informal economic activity, insecurity and limited government presence in some remote areas can create conditions in which illegal mining thrives.

This is particularly important in rural communities where artisanal mining may provide livelihoods for families with few alternative sources of income.

The challenge for Nigeria, therefore, is not merely to stop illegal mining, but to bring legitimate artisanal miners into the formal economy, enforce the law against criminal mining operations, protect host communities and the environment, improve security around mining areas, and ensure that Nigeria’s mineral wealth translates into sustainable development.

Nigeria is richly endowed with solid minerals. The ultimate objective should be to ensure that the wealth beneath the ground becomes prosperity above the ground, legally, safely and sustainably.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes in from Abuja and can be reached at 08036070980, zaymohd@yahoo.com