Nasarawa bans under-18 from mining, unveils task force

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The Nasarawa State Government has banned children below the age of 18 from participating in mining activities across the 13 local government areas of the state.

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The government also established a special monitoring and enforcement team to tackle illegal mining and child labour-related activities in mining communities.

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The Commissioner for Environment, Solid Minerals and Mining, Margaret Elayo, announced the ban at a press conference on Friday in Lafia, the state capital.

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Elayo said the measure became necessary following the recent reported deaths of several suspected illegal miners in Minna, Niger State.

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She said the state government would no longer fold its arms and allow young residents and other individuals to engage in illegal mining activities that expose lives to danger and contribute to environmental degradation.

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The commissioner explained that the special monitoring team had been empowered to visit mining communities and sites across the state and arrest persons or entities engaged in mining activities without the required licences and clearance from the government.

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According to her, the decision was part of renewed efforts by the government to sanitise the mining sector, protect child rights and prevent the exploitation of minors at mining sites.

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She expressed concern that underage children were being used as labourers in artisanal mining sites in some parts of the state.

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Elayo said the ministry had received information that some mining sites in Wamba, Nasarawa-Eggon and Kokona Local Government Areas were exposing children to health hazards and denying them access to education.

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“Henceforth, no child below the age of 18 is allowed to be found at any mining site in Nasarawa State, either as a labourer, errand runner or food vendor.

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“Any company, site operator or parent found violating this directive will be arrested and prosecuted in line with the Child Rights Law and the mining regulations,” she said.

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Elayo advised mining companies to engage adults aged 18 years and above, train them and provide them with the necessary safety equipment to work on their sites.

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She also advised parents to discourage the use of their children in mining sites, adding that they themselves should not be involved because of the dangers and health implications associated with the activity.

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“The state government will work with the security agencies, traditional rulers and other community leaders to enforce the ban and ensure compliance.

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“We are also working with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and relevant agencies to formalise artisanal miners into cooperatives for better regulation and safety,” she added.

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According to her, the ban was not intended to stop mining activities but to ensure that mining was done responsibly and sustainably.

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Nasarawa State is endowed with large deposits of solid minerals, including lithium, tin and gold, which have attracted large numbers of artisanal miners to the state.

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This is coming a day after thirty-seven suspected illegal miners arrested in M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto villages in Niger State on Thursday died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

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The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Suberu Aniviye, in a statement, said that the suspects were arrested during operations conducted on September 15 and 16

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