Federal Government To Use Tech Solutions To Monitor Mining Sites: Solid Minerals Minister

Dele Alake, the minister of Solid Minerals Development, revealed on Sunday that the federal government was all set to deploy technology to monitor mining sites across Nigeria.

Speaking in Abuja, Alake said that the government will be introducing some technology to fight against illegal mining, adding that "we are not just relying on men and materials alone," Premium Times reported.

This use of technology will be an addition to supporting the 2,220 personnel of the Mining Marshal Corps, who are part of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), in fighting against illegal mining.

These personnel, spread across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are trained in modern warfare to combat insecurity and protect the country's natural resources.

"The satellite surveillance gadgets we are putting in there enable us to see in real-time all mining sites in Nigeria," he said. "So that when we notice any infraction, very quickly we can deploy the mining marshals to go there, so we don't even have to wait for any interpersonal communication."

He explained that this technology will help reduce the time between information and action, noting that at this moment, the officials have to depend on people to pass information.

However, with the help of satellite surveillance gadgets, the officials will be able to see similar information themselves. The minister said that this was a step forward in the right direction.

"We needed to put in place policy measures to ensure that when these investors come, they are not just coming into the darkness that we had here before. They will ask some questions, what is the security of their operating environment, their investment, personnel and the ease of doing business in Nigeria and the sector," the minister said.

Alake acknowledged that the President Bola Tinubu administration has inherited many security challenges including banditry, kidnapping and terrorism -- most of them are linked with the solid mineral sector.

Last year, Director of Defence Media Operations Major General Edward Buba said that the military operations across the Niger Delta region have recovered millions of liters of oil from oil thieves and saved the country N4 billion.

Oil theft is a big issue in Nigeria. Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria Femi Gbajabiamila said last year in May that the country might lose $23 billion to crude oil theft in 2023.