The Miners Association of Nigeria has rejected calls for a nationwide suspension of mining activities, insisting that a blanket ban would worsen insecurity rather than solve it.
In a statement jointly signed by its National President, Dele Ayankale, and National Secretary, Sulaiman Liman, the association warned that halting legitimate mining would cripple lawful operators while strengthening illegal networks that fund terrorism. Their reaction follows the recent appeal by the Northern States Governors’ Forum for a six-month suspension of mining after fresh abductions and killings across several states.
The governors linked illegal mining to rising banditry and argued that a temporary halt would enable a comprehensive audit of mining licences. But MAN maintains that only illicit operations—not licensed, regulated mining—have ties to criminal groups.
Ayankale noted that previous bans had failed to produce security gains, citing the 2019 mining suspension in Zamfara, which he said coincided with a surge in banditry, kidnappings and terror attacks across Zamfara and neighbouring Katsina, Kaduna, Niger and Kebbi.
He argued that stopping legal operators would trigger job losses, deepen poverty and undermine federal efforts to attract investment into the solid minerals sector. According to him, illegal miners—often linked to armed groups—would still exploit resources because of the state’s limited enforcement capacity, further empowering criminals who trade minerals for weapons.
Ayankale added that MAN members work closely with security agencies and operate under strict environmental and safety standards, insisting that conflating legal mining with criminal activity is “a misnomer” that risks punishing legitimate stakeholders while allowing illegal actors to thrive.
