Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki has called on the National Assembly (NASS) to amend the Solid Minerals Act 2007 to expand access to and registration of artisanal miners.

He said this while receiving a certificate of appreciation in Abuja yesterday from the Terragraphics International Foundation, America "for the exemplary leadership role he has played to see to the completion and the overall success of the Bagega lead poisoning remediation project."

The Senator said the amendment of the act will enable miners form cooperative societies, access finance and be involved in training on safer mining. He also said it will help provide more job opportunities for the people reduce the incidences of unsafe mining and capture the market in terms of taxation and revenue to the government.

During the presentation, Senator Saraki was particularly happy to officially report that the entire Bagega area and all the other villages of Zamfara State which has since 2010 been ravaged by lead poisoning has become fully remediated.