To boost Nigeria’s revenue, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has recommended revenue generation through taxing and royalties on artisanal miners in the country.
Alake said efforts are under-way by his ministry to formalise artisanal mining in the country, during an interview on Channels TV on Tuesday, February 13.
He said; “For instance, in illegal activities in artisanal mining, we’ve encouraged them to form themselves into cooperatives so that they can no longer become illegal miners. They become formalised and structured.
“They can become bankable. They can approach the banks for financing, expand the scope of their businesses, and become legitimate.
“And through that, the government itself can have bodies or structures to identify and tax and collect royalties from them. These are revenues that have been lost in the past.”
Alake also disclosed that there were instances in which some accounts of illegal miners in the country have been frozen.
“The government is working with host communities to identify illegal miners in the country.
“The companies that go into host communities to start digging or mining and all that. We’ve read the Riot Act to them and we are working with host communities to inform us of any illegal mining going on in their states.
“We have carried out operations in some states. As we speak, some illegal miners that were apprehended have had their accounts frozen. They are being interrogated and will soon be prosecuted,” he said.
