A group of Artisanal miners and coal transporters in Kogi State have commended President Mohammadu Buhari for his wisdom to formalize activities of artisanal coal miners through the provision of licenses in clusters for which they now carry out their businesses without harassment as it used to be.
Chairman, artisanal coal miners and haulage association in Kogi State, Gabriel Onoja said the development is a win-win situation for the government, artisans and the youths who no longer find crimes interesting.
In its bid to diversify the economy upon inception, the Mohammadu Buhari led administration designed a programme to make coal a major source of energy in Nigeria, which is to create jobs and improve the socio economic situation in the country.
This development led to the granting of approval to coal mining companies as well as formalizing illegal miners’ also known as artisanal miners from where they now legally carry out their business.
Chairman of artisanal miners at the mining site in Ankpa local government of Kogi State, Gabriel Onoja, described the federal government’s initiatives as empowerment for youths who no longer patronize crimes by being gainfully engaged on site.
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This lofty initiatives by the government is still with some challenges as the artisans and haulage operators want government to come to their aide by providing machines
Some of the miners who are already registered into clusters also want a speedy process in accessing loans and grants meant for artisanal miners.
For a government that is battling with insecurity and unemployment, leveraging on the over one hundred coal deposit sites in Kogi State will change the economic fortunes of the artisanal miners, state and federal government through payment of royalty
Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe
