So, there’s been a lot of talk about adding mining education to the school curriculum. People are saying it’s really important for kids to learn about mining from an early age. They’re also calling for tougher penalties for illegal miners. Apparently, the country is losing a ton of money because of these illegal mining activities, and it’s not just Nigerians doing it—foreigners are involved too.
I read this interview with a Nigerian accountant, Owolabi Salis, who lives in New York. He thinks it’s a big deal to teach kids about mining because it’s good for the economy. He said, “Mining education should be introduced in primary and secondary schools and of course the tertiary institutions. Mining is key to transforming the earth to usefulness to people. Countries that are proficient in mining train their kids in the area and also make it compulsory.”
He also had some strong words for President Bola Tinubu. He thinks African countries need to pay more attention to using natural resources in a valuable way. It’s not just about solid minerals, but also precious gems in the ocean. He’s really pushing for the government to take action against illegal mining and the problems it’s causing.
Salis mentioned that a lot of people don’t realize that illegal miners, especially foreigners, are behind a big chunk of the insecurity in the country. They’re causing trouble and even funding conflicts to get access to natural resources. He’s not happy with the government’s response to this issue and thinks the country is losing billions of dollars because of it.
He’s really worried about the impact of illegal mining and smuggling on the country. He said, “Nigeria is losing billions of dollars every year due to our negligence in the mining sector. The authority has not controlled the issue of mining, which is also creating a security threat. Most of these illegal miners operate without government’s approval and they are masterminded by foreigners in collaboration with local lords. The foreign illegal miners are the ones funding insurgency to displace people from their communities, to gain access to carry out the illegal mining. They will invade the village to displace innocent people, especially where they discover valuables and raw materials. All these international criminals are at the forefront and the Nigerian authority does not pay attention to it.”
It’s a pretty serious situation, and it sounds like something needs to be done about it. What do you think?