By Abel Daniel

The Nasarawa State Government has expressed concern over what it described as poor regulation and weak enforcement of mining activities by federal authorities, saying the lapses have fueled illegal mining, conflicts between host communities and miners, and insecurity in the state.

Governor Abdullahi Sule, according to officials, has been working tirelessly to tackle insecurity around mining sites despite what the state perceives as the federal government’s failure to ensure effective regulation of the sector.

Experts note that with the global demand for clean energy, Nasarawa’s vast deposits of lithium have placed the state in high demand among both local and foreign investors.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard on Friday in Lafia, Dr. Samuel Egya, Special Adviser to Governor Sule on Solid Minerals, said the lack of effective coordination and supervision by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development had created room for illegal mining and fraudulent acquisition of lands for mining operations.

According to him, the problem is worsened by provisions in the Mining Act that allow landowners and farmers to grant direct consent to miners seeking licences without approval from state or local governments.

“This provision has been grossly abused. Some miners take advantage of the law to pay a token amount to poor farmers or local chiefs who do not understand the legal or technical implications of such consent,” Egya said.

He added that in several instances, impostors posing as traditional rulers had signed fraudulent consent documents later used to obtain mining licences.

“We have cases where genuine paramount rulers who have the authority to endorse consent were bypassed. Some impostors signed the documents, and the Mining Cadastral Office issued exploration licences without proper verification from the state. In the end, the whole process turned out to be a scam,” he explained.

Egya said the development had triggered numerous communal and family crises across the state, as some miners obtained consent for lands belonging to others without the knowledge or approval of rightful owners.

“In some cases, the Cadastral Office issued overlapping licences that encroached on other lands, leading to serious disputes the state government has to settle daily,” he added.

He also alleged that some miners operated with forged documents, claiming to have federal approval, while others bribed local heads to validate illegal mining papers.

Egya identified poor reclamation of mined lands as another major concern, warning that the failure of miners to restore sites after operations poses both environmental and security risks.

He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to enforce compliance with land reclamation laws and strengthen collaboration with state governments to verify the authenticity of mining consents.

Egya further disclosed that Governor Sule had consistently advocated the deregulation of the solid minerals sector to give states a stronger role in monitoring and enforcement.

He said the state government was pushing for a speedy amendment of the existing Mining Act to empower states to regulate mining activities effectively, curb illegal operations, and avert related security threats.

Meanwhile, the state government reiterated its commitment to maintaining surveillance on mining sites, warning that any site found violating state regulations would be shut down.

Experts have also called for stricter enforcement of mining laws, noting that with over 32 solid minerals deposited in Nasarawa, effective regulation is essential to guarantee security, environmental safety, and sustainable development in mining communities.