Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has ordered mining firms operating in Kogi State to strengthen accountability frameworks and corporate social responsibility by deepening development efforts in host communities.
Governor Ododo gave the directive during an on-the-spot assessment of mining sites in the Enjema community, Ankpa local government area of the state where he expressed concern that despite the mineral wealth, residents of the community continued to grapple with poor infrastructure and a lack of basic social amenities.
He directed miners in Enjema community to take responsibility for infrastructure and environmental damage arising from their activities by deepening community development interventions in the area.
He said the state government would no longer allow mineral resources to be extracted from host communities without corresponding investments in the development of the community, insisting that mining operators must fulfil their Corporate Social Responsibility obligations.
Ododo directed the Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources to work with the leadership of the miners’ association to compile a comprehensive list of licensed operators in the area, leading to a structured engagement and enforcement of their obligations.
He said the government would engage mining operators to ensure that roads and other infrastructure damaged as a result of mining activities were rehabilitated and that essential facilities, including schools, potable water and electricity, were provided to improve the living conditions of residents.
While calling for stronger regulation of mining activities, the governor cautioned traditional rulers against issuing consent letters to unlicensed operators, directing those who had granted such approvals without following due process to withdraw them immediately.
He also warned against indiscriminate arrests and criminalisation of legitimate artisanal miners, noting that many residents had chosen mining as a lawful means of livelihood rather than engaging in criminal activities.
The governor disclosed that the state government had profiled a significant number of artisanal miners in the area, including more than 1,000 degree holders, over 500 master’s degree holders and more than 300 persons without formal educational qualifications.
“They are not kidnappers. They are not armed robbers. They have chosen not to go the way of kidnapping. They have chosen to earn a living through their hands. Why should somebody come here, arrest them and tag them as illegal miners?” he queried.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, Engr. Bashir Gegu, commended the governor for the visit, describing it as a demonstration of his administration’s determination to ensure that mineral resources contribute meaningfully to the development of host communities.
He explained that the state government had strengthened regulations governing mining operations, particularly the issuance of community consent letters and the implementation of Community Development Agreements.
Gegu stressed that such agreements must go beyond tokenist financial empowerment to include sustainable interventions such as roads, potable water, electricity, quality schools and scholarships for members of host communities.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Kogi State Chapter, Yunusa Oruma, commended the governor for his intervention and support for the mining sector.
Oruma described Governor Ododo as a supporter of the mining industry and pledged the association’s readiness to mobilise artisanal and other categories of miners in support of the administration.
