The Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, has warned governors against banning mining activities within their states
Alake insisted that no governor possesses the rightful authority to interfere with mining operations in any state in the country.
The minister made these remarks during a pre-event press conference in Abuja for the 8th edition of the annual Nigerian Mining Week 2023 scheduled from the 16th to 18th of October.
According him, “for a State to wake up and say it is regulating mining activities is like a state waking up to ban oil exploration which is downright illegal”.
Alake emphasized that mining is exclusively within the Federal Government’s domain as stipulated by the Constitution, noting that no governor is constitutionally empowered to enact laws, regulations, or oversee operations concerning solid minerals resources.
He said: “The states’ ban on mining activities across the country is a point that is really sore. And it’s a constitutional matter.