Miners Association of Nigeria

The association  has  sustained  the industry  throughout  the  periods  ofneglect by successive governments; its catch-phrase is “watchdog of the mining industry” in Nigeria. It has watched over mining operationsfrom the dredging of sand by river side and gravel quarrying, to themining of tin, columbite, iron ore and gold; some of them applied tolocal industries and others for export. Thousands of jobs have been created in the process; the economy of the nation has been boosted.

 

There are over four thousand members spread throughout all the States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

 

Nigeria is blessed with a lot of mineral resources which in the past provided massive employment to the people and substantial revenue to the Government. However, the discovery of oil, indigenization policyof the then Government which discouraged foreign investment and thecollapse of international tin market in the 70s and 80s, collectively knocked down the solid minerals development in Nigeria.

 

Indeed it is disturbing to observe that our local industries largely depend on imported minerals such as Gypsum, Barite, Talc, Kaolin as their raw materials despite the availability of such minerals in Nigeria. It is also disheartening that base metals such as tin, columbite, lead, zinc, tantalite and Gemstones are being exported without any value addition. This deprive the operators of an excellent price; and add to the unemployment challenge prevailing in Nigeria.

 

Though efforts were made at transforming the solid minerals sector bythe successive administrations, it did not make the required impact. The mining industry is seriously seeking for attention and funding intervention to reemerge as a foremost economic sector in Nigeria.