Formalising Gold Mining in Nigeria: PAGMI Enrols Over 11,000 Artisanal Miners
The Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (PAGMI) has achieved a significant milestone in its efforts to formalize the artisanal gold mining sector in Nigeria. Over the past four years since its establishment, PAGMI has successfully registered 11,547 artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs).
PAGMI, established by the Solid Mineral Development Fund (SMDF), is focused on integrating artisanal gold mining activities into the formal economy while implementing regulations and promoting responsible mining practices and environmental conservation.
This accomplishment represents a noteworthy advancement in the formalization of artisanal gold mining. It underscores PAGMI’s success in engaging small-scale miners in legal and regulated mining operations, ultimately providing them with economic empowerment and support.
Initiated in 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, PAGMI is a comprehensive development program tailored to the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector. Its primary objective is to integrate mining activities into Nigeria’s legal, economic, and institutional framework.
PAGMI is specifically designed to address structural and institutional obstacles, including rural poverty, limited alternative livelihoods, and challenges in meeting legal requirements, which have historically contributed to illegal mining practices.
By formalizing the sector, PAGMI aims to combat illegal mining activities, stimulate job creation, income generation, economic diversification, and improve revenue collection.
According to Fatima Shinkafi, the Executive Secretary of SMDF, PAGMI has had a substantial impact. She highlights that formalizing artisanal mining under PAGMI has enabled ASMs to access improved equipment and technologies, receive training on safe and efficient mining practices, and access financing and markets for their gold output more easily.
Moreover, PAGMI has spurred private-sector-led investment in the gold mining sector, fostering economic growth and development. The enrollment of 11,547 ASMs into PAGMI is a testament to the program’s success in transitioning miners from informal and hazardous practices to a more regulated and sustainable approach.
Shinkafi underscores the importance of the Nigerian government’s commitment to supporting and empowering ASMs through initiatives like PAGMI, emphasizing their indispensable role in the development of the mining industry and overall economic growth.
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