Abuja — The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arch. Musa Mohammed Sada has said at a stakeholders meeting that it was pertinent for operators in the mining sector to understand the position and views of government as they relate to mining.

He said this at the stakeholders' sensitization forum on sustainable mining which took place recently at the J. B. Yakubu Conference Centre, Gusau in Zamfara State. He also said that steps were being taken to look into the issue of the ban on mining activities in Zamfara State which was placed during the lead poisoning incident.

According to him, many governments were challenged with balancing the economic benefits of mining with the environmental cost of the activities.

"The negative environmental impacts of mineral exploration and processing are numerous and quite challenging. This can be redressed adequately through the development of realistic and appropriate environmental management plans for all phases of the project life-cycle, which includes mineral exploration, exploitation and processing," he said.

He acknowledged that at the wake of the rather unfortunate incident, the Federal and Zamfara State governments and indeed different organizations intervened to ensure that the incident did not escalate.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the forum, it was resolved that all stakeholders should join in the crusade for a sustainable development of the mining sector. The communique warned that unless proper controls were taken in mining and processing of metals, serious environmental damage can result.

Therefore, all arms of government, including traditional rulers and security agencies, should be involved in the implementation of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007.

It recommended the need to set up a committee to curb illegal mining as well as the urgent need for informal miners to formalize their activities by forming registered mining cooperatives or quarrying associations.

"Decisive actions should be taken to completely mineral ore processing in the villages. Artisanal miners and small scale miners should take advantage of the Ore Processing plant established by the Zamfara State government in order to ensure proper tailings disposal.

"All mineral title holders should produce and submit approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation Programme (EPRP) before commencement of mining operations," the communiqué noted.

Also speaking at the forum, the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi, blamed some of the excesses of miners who operate in states on the centralized system of mining operations in the country, noting that state authorities would be better able to check illegal activities of miners where they are allowed a part in the issuance of licenses to miners.

He said, "A number of individuals or companies to whom mineral titles have been issued do not comply with mineral processing regulations. The fact that the host states in which these individuals and companies operate have not been involved in the process of issuance of such titles makes it difficult for the states to enforce strict compliance with the regulations."

Shinkafi further pointed out that some of the individuals and companies to whom titles have been allocated have not utilized these titles decades, thereby creating room for proliferation of illegal miners who lack the requisite skills, tools and resources.