Kassa Tragedy: Federal Govt Moves To Convert 4,000 Abandoned Mine Pits Into Economic Assets

The federal government has unveiled plans to transform more than 4,000 abandoned tin mine pits in Plateau State into productive economic assets, with potential investments in energy, tourism and fisheries.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, disclosed this while reacting to the collapse of an abandoned tin mine pit at Kassa in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, which claimed the lives of seven persons.

Alake said the tragedy underscored the urgent need to reclaim abandoned mine sites and prevent them from becoming death traps, while creating new opportunities for investment and economic development.

“The challenge before the state and the Federal Government is how to turn these potential pits of death into centres of joyful prosperity,” he said.

According to the Minister, more than 4,000 mine pits were created by Amalgamated Tin Mines Limited and its successor companies, Consolidated Tin Mines Limited and Nigerian Tin and Allied Products Limited.

He said the Federal Government was ready to partner with investors interested in repurposing the abandoned sites for energy, tourism and fishery projects.

Alake described public-private collaboration as one of the fastest ways to convert the abandoned sites into productive assets, noting that the ministry had already rehabilitated 59 abandoned mine pits.

To further support the initiative, he said the ministry had commenced deploying advanced Geographic Information System (GIS) satellite mapping and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to locate and accurately characterise the legacy tin pits.

The initiative, being implemented through a public-private partnership with the ImPPPact Nigeria Alliance and the geomatics specialist Intomatics, has Plateau State as its pilot beneficiary.

Alake said the technology would enable the government and its partners to develop appropriate workflows to reclaim the thousands of abandoned pits and make them available for productive use.

He urged interested investors to direct enquiries to the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office and the ministry’s Mines and Environmental Compliance Department, and to apply for funding through the Solid Minerals Development Fund’s programme.

The Minister warned artisanal miners against illegally exploiting abandoned mine pits, saying the recent Kassa tragedy could have been avoided if the miners had formed a cooperative and obtained the required permits.

He said licensed miners would have access to field training through the ministry’s Artisanal Mining Department and be better positioned to earn sustainable incomes without exposing themselves to avoidable risks.

Alake urged artisanal miners nationwide to learn from the Kassa incident and comply with mining regulations.

He also disclosed that the ministry had activated the Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation Fund to ensure that mining companies provide resources for the rehabilitation of mine sites at the end of their operations.

“Very soon, we shall conclude discussions with the fund managers. Thenceforth, mining companies must pay to the Fund so that it can rehabilitate mine pits if the companies don’t do so during closure,” he said.

The Minister of Plateau State, in a statement, expressed concern with the government and people of Plateau State over the deaths and prayed for the repose of the victims.