By Bunmi Yekini
The Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI) has labeled the recent deaths of 13 young miners in Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State, as a “national tragedy” and a reflection of Nigeria’s growing mining crisis. The tragic incident, which occurred on Saturday, November 9, 2024, follows a similar collapse just a week earlier, where over 30 miners lost their lives in the border region between Taraba and Adamawa States.
According to the RDI, the incident is symptomatic of a broader problem plaguing Nigeria’s mining sector: unchecked illegal mining, which disproportionately affects northern communities. The latest collapse struck a boundary region between Bassa, Jos South, and Jos North LGAs, claiming the lives of mostly teenage and young men striving to make a living from mining.
Philip Jakpor, the Executive Director of RDI, voiced strong concerns over the repeated tragedies, emphasizing that regulatory agencies’ laxity in oversight has left mining communities vulnerable to frequent disasters. “We had thought that with the uproar following the Shiroro mine collapse in Niger State in August, and then the tragic incident between Taraba and Adamawa last week, we had seen the end of such preventable catastrophes,” Jakpor said. “Yet, the Plateau incident shows that the entire oversight structure around mining needs urgent interrogation and reform if we are to halt the needless loss of young Nigerian lives.”
Jakpor called for governments at all levels to address the issue, saying, “It appears that authorities have either given up or are complicit through silence, allowing mining sites across Nigeria to be overtaken by illegal operators, both indigenous and foreign.” He pointed out that even the federal government’s Mining Marshal initiative, intended to curb illegal mining, has been inadequate, stressing the need for a more effective and community-oriented approach.
“We believe it is now time for a complete review of the Mining Marshal initiative to better reflect realities on the ground in mining communities,” Jakpor continued. “Of particular urgency is the need for synergy between the Mining Marshals, local communities, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), a collaboration that, frankly, is not happening at the moment.”
Highlighting the broader implications of unchecked mining, Jakpor drew a parallel with the “oil curse” in the Niger Delta, saying that the exploitation of solid minerals in the north threatens similar consequences. He further urged for a national dialogue on illegal mining to empower communities to manage their resources in a way that benefits them directly.
“The mining deaths are avoidable and unacceptable,” Jakpor concluded. “The government must hold illegal mine operators accountable for not only robbing the nation and destroying our environment, but also endangering and taking lives. Anything short of this is a time bomb waiting to explode.”