Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has reported that significant volumes of illegally mined gold are being exported to the United Arab Emirates. He stated that these unauthorized exports are resulting in severe economic losses, estimated at about $9 billion annually. Alake emphasized that, aside from the economic impact, the situation hampers government efforts to develop the country’s solid minerals sector, a key avenue for diversifying Nigeria’s economy away from oil dependency.
Alake is promoting stricter measures against illegal mining, such as requiring miners to join cooperatives to operate legally and be monitored. He hopes these steps will allow for better tracking and tax collection, ultimately stabilizing the sector while creating legitimate job opportunities for Nigerians. The government’s efforts also include deploying mining marshals and calling for a dedicated “mines police” to secure mining sites and combat the involvement of powerful individuals who back illegal mining activities for personal profit.
