Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA has called on the federal government and state authorities to enforce strict monitoring and regulatory measures against illegal mining activities to prevent further avoidable tragedies across the country.

CAPPA made the call in a statement signed by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe in response to the recent collapse of an illegal mining pit located within a national game reserve spanning Gashaka Local Government Area in Taraba State and Toungo Local Government Area in Adamawa State.

The accident, which took place on Wednesday, November 6, has left about thirty (30) gold miners presumed dead in the Buffa zone of the Gashaka-Gumti National Park.

The organisation expressed deep concern over the incidence of illegal mine camps and even mine collapses across the country, stating that these challenges now cast doubt on the operational effectiveness of the Mines Surveillance Task Team and other monitoring outfits designed to regulate such occurrences.

“Despite existing regulations, illegal mining continues to proliferate, revealing serious gaps in enforcement, often at the expense of local communities,” CAPPA said.

“Our field investigations have uncovered illegal and abandoned mining camps operated by local and foreign—often Chinese—interests in states like Nasarawa, Osun and Ekiti among others. Artisanal miners, primarily impoverished locals and vulnerable groups such as women and children, risk their lives digging as deep as 200 feet with nothing but shovels and minimal safety measures and equipment.

“This unregulated extraction not only facilitates the plunder of communal resources but also leads to severe environmental degradation, leaving behind hazardous open pits that endanger not only the miners but the broader community alike,” said Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of CAPPA. 

The organisation also flagged the pressing need to address the socioeconomic conditions that compel locals into unsafe mining practices, reflecting that poverty, created and sustained by systemic exclusion, forces many to engage in dangerous mining operations as a means of survival.

The organisation warned that, as global capital now drives a frenzy for minerals to support a “green transition,” mineral-rich communities in Nigeria will remain locked in cycles of exploitation and danger unless they are allowed a rightful stake in the wealth extracted from their lands.

“Without structural changes that redistribute this economic power, illegal mining will continue as an imposed, desperate option for the impoverished. While we continue to sound the alarm about the dangers of illegal mining, we must also address the conditions that push individuals into these high-risk activities,” CAPPA stated.

The organisation noted that though the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Department (ASSMD) under the Ministry of Mines and Steel is tasked with helping small-scale and artisanal miners formalise their operations and access support, costs of obtaining a mining lease and other official requirements make this process difficult for many.

“For instance, recent revisions to the fees for obtaining a Small-Scale Mining Lease as announced by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in July now stands at 300,000 naira for two Cadastre units as opposed to an initial 10,000 naira. While this fee might seem modest for mining cooperatives and corporate interests, it is unrealisable for many impoverished individuals and communities who rely on artisanal mining for survival. In practice, this barrier allows big players and corporate profiteers to secure this lease and proceed to exploit the labour of artisanal miners, who work under harsh and unsafe conditions to reap profits for them.

“Beyond the financial burden, applicants are also required to submit a pre-feasibility study, proof of adequate working capital and technical competence, and precise coordinates for the proposed site. For many artisanal miners, whose level of education and economic standing limit their ability to meet these requirements, these demands are simply unattainable, excluding them from legal mining avenues and pushing them toward unsafe and exploitative options,” said CAPPA.

The statement urged the federal government to reform mining policy to make licensing processes accessible and affordable for local communities and small-scale miners. The organisation suggested simplifying application processes, and providing technical and educational support to equip small-scale miners with the capacity to thrive.

In addition to overseeing regulatory reforms and robust enforcement against unauthorised mining camps, CAPPA demanded that corporations exploiting resource-rich areas across the country be held accountable for any human rights and environmental violations they cause.

The organisation called on state governments to exercise strict oversight of corporate mining operations and enforce penalties, including revoking license to deter corporations from bypassing safety and regulatory obligations.

CAPPA also stressed the need for a task force on mining that operates with a sense of responsibility, rather than force, when dealing with vulnerable communities.

“Using force on communities only creates resistance and worsens tensions at mining sites,” CAPPA warned. “The government must protect lives and prioritise the rights of these communities, who are often left with the scars and costs of resource extraction that does not benefit them.”