Following the tragic mining pit collapse in Galadima Kogo in Shiroro local government area of Niger State recently, the minister of solid minerals development, Dr. Dele Alake, has revealed the government’s plans to enforce an insurance policy for mine workers in Nigeria.
The minister, who made the disclosure during a condolence visit to Niger State governor, Umar Bago, in Minna at the weekend, where he represented President Bola Tinubu, stated, however, that the calamity could have been avoided.
“I bring the condolences and sympathies of Mr. President to the families of victims, those injured, the entire community, and the government and people of Niger state on the mine pit collapse. It is unfortunate and avoidable. Though we learned the disaster was due to heavy rainfall, we are committed to intensifying the monitoring of mining operations to ensure conformity to environmental standards,” Alake stated.
LEADERSHIP reports that early this week, a mining site in Galadima Kogo in Shiroro local government area of Niger State operated by African Minerals and Logistics Ltd collapsed, leading to at least one death and trapping dozens of mine workers underground. Heavy rainfall was blamed for the incident.
Rescue efforts have been ongoing but hampered by a lack of adequate equipment and bad weather.
The minister commended the state government for swiftly mobilising emergency rescue operations in collaboration with federal agencies, stressing that all efforts must be made to rescue those still trapped.
According to a statement by the special assistant to the minister on media, Segun Tomori, in order to enhance safety measures and provide relief to miners and their families in the event of accidents, Alake affirmed that insurance policies for miners across the country will be enforced. He also emphasized the federal government’s stance that remediation plans must accompany mining licence applications, stating that irresponsible mining operations posing threats to the environment and communities will no longer be tolerated.
“We must also put in place contingency plans to mitigate the impact of natural disasters on mining sites; for instance, making the installation of support pillars under shafts mandatory. This practice is common in other countries,” he added.
For his part, Governor Bago expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for the condolence visit and emphasized the need for a concerted effort between the federal government and subnationals to ensure mining companies comply with safety standards.
He advocated the strengthening of collaborative measures to enhance periodic monitoring and evaluation of the environmental impact of mining operations to minimise the recurrence of the unfortunate incident.
Bago cited the abundance of commercially viable critical minerals in the state, and appealed to the federal government to focus on making the state the pivot of developing the nation’s mining sector.
Governor Bago, who accompanied the minister to visit recuperating victims at IBB Specialist Hospital, donated N50 million to assist affected patients and families on behalf of President Tinubu.
