Global Rights Nigeria has identified ignorance of solid minerals mining host communities to the provisions of the Mining Act and the Community Development Agreement as contributing factor for increasing exploitation by illegal miners.
Executive Director, Abiodun Baiyewu stated this during a 2-day training for journalists on Mineral Governance and Host Community Rights in Nigeria.
The training, supported by Ford Foundation attracted over 40 journalists drawn from print and electronics media organizations across the country.
Baiyewu argued that the host communities would be better equipped to demand for their rights when they were adequately enlightened.
She described media, family and the school as critical partners in entrenching cultural value, saying the training was targeted at arming the media to drive the conversation around responsible and sustainable mining.
She said, “it is the vision of the organization to entrench a culture of human rights, in a sustainable manner across communties in the country.
“What we are doing is to put the lives of these vulnerable communities in your hands to save.
“Today, the Chinese are exploring and ferrying away our minerals, while damaging the land, disrespecting and assaulting people of the host communities.
“I therefore want to urge the participants to take the programme seriously, so as to drive the desired change we want to see.”
Programs Manager, Edosa Oviawe, in his presentation on “Understanding mining”, highlighted numerous benefits of mining to include job creation, economic diversification, skills training improved infrastructure, among others.
Also speaking at a Panel Dialogue, Habibu Abubakar Wushishi, Temitope Olaifa and Dr Francis Orji representing of Federation Nigerian Mining Host Community, FNMHC, Niger, Ogun and Ebonyi States respectively decried negative impacts of activities of illegal miners on the communities.
Speaking on the topic, “Reflections on Mining Host Communities in Nigeria: Community Rights and the Rights to Development”, regretted government’s inability to address the challenges, urging relevant authorities to rise to the ocassion.
Other resource persons at the training included, Emily Offodile who delivered a paper on Legal Framework for Mining and Joseph Idahosa who spoke on Managing Nigeria’s Critical Minerals: Avoiding the Green Recourse Curse.
