NGO Trains Journalists On Mineral Governance, Host Community Rights

By Zeniat Abubakar Abuja 

 

 

 

 

A Non-Governmental Organization, Global Rights has trained over forty journalist across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria on mineral governance and host community right. 

 

The two day training, which is which took place in Abuja featured experts in the mining sector sharing their wealth of experiences on how to educate host communities about their rights as as it concerns mining activities in their various communities.

 

In her opening remarks, the Executive Director, Global Rights Mrs Abiodun Baiyewu noted that the training will keep journalists abreast of their corporate social responsibility in bringing development to host communities where mining activities is taking place through their reportage and allowing them know their rights.

 

 

In a publication titled “Artisanal and Small-Scale mining in Nigeria, issues, patterns and trends” Baiyewu observed that Artisanal and Small scale Mining (ASM) has been practiced in Nigeria for centuries and widespread across the country and the entire West Africa region.

 

She also noted that there are no accurate or up-to-date data on the number of small scale minors or the scale of their activities in Nigeria.

 

 

“In the long run, most forms of artisanal mining are not environmentally sustainable, but provide a short-stop measure for the economic empowerment of citizens, Ideally, mining practices should be leveraged in a manner that elevates micro scale mining to larger and more environmentally sustainable status.” She explained.

 

She also noted that countries need to be deliberate through their policies, legal and institutional frameworks to formalize the sector and ensure the maximization of its potentials.

 

“The big question is how can Nigeria achieve this? Do policy makers and stakeholders have sufficient information to make informed decision?

 

“Strong anecdotal evidence suggests that over 90 per cent of artisanal and small-scale mining in Nigeria are unregulated. In this context, it is therefore not surprising that Nigeria annually loses over N9Billion Naira to illegal mining. Worst still, the activities of informal and unregulated artisanal miners are a major contributor to the nation’s growing environmental degradation and pollution. 

 

“While artisanal mining might enrich a few, across West Africa several mining host communities and their neighbours, especially those with whom they share essential resources including water and farmland inordinately bear the brunt of their activities including the destruction of alternative livelihoods, increased insecurity and health consequences,” she said.

 

According to her, “in 2010, the unregulated activities of artisanal miners in Zamfara state resulted in the largest outbreak of gold mining related lead poisoning, in which over 400 children died within the first year and a further 300 in the following year and subsequent years. As important, it is critical to think of the climate change implications of artisanal mining”.

 

Panelists at the training identified ignorance, exploitation of host communities, insecurity, disease outbreak as some of the problems why the rights of host communities where mining is taking place needs to be protected.

 

One of the panelist from Niger State, Mr Habibu Wushishi lamented that the Government is not making frantic efforts to protect host communities from illegal mining, noting that, many occupants have been displaced from their ancestral home due to insecurity from mining activities.

 

Mr Wushishi opined that the government has failed in intelligence gathering in addressing banditry in the Country where mining activities is taking place.

 

“It has come to a state where the community people are afraid to give intelligence gathering to security agencies because it will be leaked out.” 

 

“Government is not doing anything apart from blaming themselves which is not appropriate. Through mining activities, there is high intake of hard drugs in this communities, increase in crime rate, and under development” he noted.

 

According to him, the Community Development Agreement has been hijacked by the elites in their various communities stressing that, except urgent steps is taken, host communities will continue to have a set back despite mining activities in their areas.

 

Another Panelist A lecturer from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Dr Tope Olaifa, argued that many communities don’t know that there is a legal framework backing it demands concerning mining a activities.

 

She further stressed that the miners are making effort to exploit the ignorance of the community.

 

She also added that the Government is not doing enough to enlighten the people on their demands as host community in mining.

 

“The law has not been effective in ameliorating the plight of the host community.”

 

“My advise is that the mining host communities should be part of this regulations, if we want to address marginalization of. When the community know what is due for them, they will be empowered and development will take place” Dr Olaifa added.

 

Mr Francis Orji, who was also one of the panelists, noted that the Community Development Agreement should be implemented to the later adding that, Miners keeps leveraging on the ignorance of the host community without giving them proper compensations.

 

He suggested for a sharing formula for host mining communities to put an end to the marginalization in their areas.

 

The two day training on Mining on and Host community right in Nigeria is to educate journalists on best ways to report the activities of artisanal mining and what needs to be done to end resource cost.

 

There were Paper presentations on understanding mining by Edosa Oviawe, which explore the different types of mining, their life cycle, and their impact on the host communities and legal framework for mining by Emily Offodile, which examined the laws regulating mining in m Nigeria, constitution, minerals, mining regulations, minerals and Mining act, and funding under the act.

 

Other paper presented during the training is the legal framework for the protection of rights by Abiodun Baiyewu which examines the ECOWAS mining Directive, African Mining Vision and the African Charter, particularly the protection of host communities rights under these policies.

 

Participants at the workshop commended the Global Rights for the knowledge imparted and promised to apply it in their reportage.

 

 

 

 

Oyenike Oyeniyi