The Kogi State Government says its inability to regulate and directly supervise mining activities has limited its capacity to maximise the economic value of the state’s abundant mineral resources.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE News on Monday, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Kogi State on Energy Matters, Bode Adeyemi, said the state lacks the legal and constitutional authority to control its mineral resources.
“I can say largely that mining has not been beneficial to us as a government and to us as a people because we lack the legal capacity and we lack the constitutional power to superintend over these natural resources that God freely has given to us as a people.”
Adeyemi said the situation has prompted calls for a review of the laws governing solid minerals to give states greater control over resources within their territories.
He stated that greater state involvement could also help address insecurity, particularly in areas where illegal mining activities have become linked to security challenges.
According to him, the lack of regulatory authority also makes it difficult for the state government to effectively determine which mining activities are legal or illegal.
“Once if you have agreed with me that the government at the subnational level has no legal or constitutional power to manage the mining ecosystem, it should not be difficult to understand that the state government, of course, will continue to face a lot of difficulties in managing what is regarded now as illegal mining.”
Adeyemi said effective management of the sector requires continuous collaboration between the Federal Government and states, particularly in profiling mining activities and identifying operators with valid licences.
He also dismissed allegations that the Kogi State Government imposes taxes and levies on mining companies, saying such claims remain unsubstantiated.
“I want to say very emphatically here that these statements actually still exist within the realms of allegations.”
The Special Adviser said the state government would be interested in receiving verifiable evidence of any illegal charges or activities attributed to the government.
Adeyemi said Kogi’s limited authority over mining does not prevent the state from taking steps to participate in the sector, noting that the state government has secured mining licences to begin operations.
“At this level, especially for now, the best any state can do is to probably join in registering mining companies, to get mining licenses for some of these activities, which is part of what the government under Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has just introduced.”
He, emphasized that such steps do not give the state regulatory authority over the sector under the existing legal framework.
“So, as a state, the best we can do is to just do the business of mining, which is just at elementary stage, but we cannot have any regulatory authority or power as far as the current law as still in place.”
Adeyemi called for the unbundling of the solid minerals sector, similar to reforms in the electricity sector, arguing that greater state participation would allow states to derive more economic value from their natural resources.
He also said the state government remains concerned about the environmental and security consequences of mining activities, despite lacking direct regulatory powers.
“We cannot remove the fact that a lot of mining companies are ripping the people off. We cannot remove the fact that a lot of their activity are actually creating a lot of environmental issues that are catastrophic and dangerous to the wellbeing and the wellness of the people.”
On illegal mining, Adeyemi said the state government would continue to collaborate with the Federal Government and other stakeholders to tackle the problem, stressing that mining remains a significant security concern for Kogi.
He added that proper regulation of the sector could also improve employment opportunities for young people in the state and ensure that communities derive greater benefits from the mineral resources in their environment.
Ojo Triumph
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