The illegal scramble by unauthorized persons for the control of the vast solid minerals is fuelling insecurity, particularly banditry in Niger state.
The State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago disclosed after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu, stating that the administration would ensure the state harnesses the huge mineral deposits in the interest of the people.
Consequently, a working relationship has been established with security agencies to restore peace and security to all parts of the state to revive agriculture.
“We are endowed as a state with a lot of mineral deposits and this is not only related to the insecurity issues, most of the places where you see this banditry are places where you have lithium or gold. So a lot of these activities are kind of associated with why banditry is springing up.
“We will harness our mineral potential. We don’t intend to come to Abuja every month to collect FAAC. As a state, we have to put all the things in order so that we can harness these potentials.
Niger State has an SPV, The State Mining Corporation, through which it hopes to have an MOU or synergy with other mining companies to harness its potential in the sector.
“If you’ll agree with me Niger State has a lot of ungoverned spaces and we are agrarian and in our strength is agriculture. So, we intend to cultivate most of your ungoverned land.
“We have a lot of body of water across the state, we want to encourage our irrigation farming and that is why we are collaborating with Mr. President, to ensure that the agric potential of Niger State is tapped very well.
“So, we will harness them. However, in the interim, we were working with security agencies in making sure that we curb this menace and by the grace of God we will come out tops,” he said.
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