The Federal Government of Nigeria, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and with support from the Canadian Government, has launched a new initiative aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s response to criminal and terrorist financing linked to the solid minerals sector.
The project is designed to enhance the capacity of Nigeria’s criminal justice system to detect, investigate, and prosecute illicit financial flows, money laundering, and conflict financing connected to illegal mining and exploitation of mineral resources.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the partnership will support the training of law enforcement, prosecutors, and other justice actors in identifying financial crimes related to mining operations and dismantling the networks that profit from them.
New Tools and Strategies to Curb Mineral Crime
Speaking on the initiative, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, highlighted several key government efforts to combat illegal mining most notably the establishment of the Mining Marshals, a dedicated security outfit tasked with confronting illicit activities in the sector.
“The Mining Marshals have been effective in arresting and prosecuting illegal miners,” Alake said, adding that their operations are sending a clear message that illegal mining will no longer be tolerated in Nigeria.
He also announced the recent approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the deployment of a satellite monitoring system to oversee mining activities nationwide. The system will support real-time surveillance and enable security forces to swiftly detect and respond to unlawful operations in remote areas.
Global Support for Nigeria’s Mining Reforms
The project has received international backing, with funding provided by the Government of Canada. The support signals a growing global commitment to assist Nigeria in securing its natural resources and promoting sustainable economic development.
UNODC Project Coordinator on Counter-Terrorism, Tom Parker, commended the Federal Government’s actions, especially the creation of the Mining Marshals. He reiterated UNODC’s readiness to support the full implementation of the project in collaboration with the Ministry.
“This partnership marks a significant step in disrupting the financial networks that enable terrorist and criminal activities in Nigeria’s mining regions,” Parker said.
The initiative is part of broader government reforms aimed at cleaning up the solid minerals sector, boosting legal operations, and ensuring that Nigeria’s vast natural resources contribute meaningfully to national development.
