Some defence experts have warned that Nigeria’s vast mineral wealth was increasingly financing insecurity, as criminal groups exploited illegal mining to fund banditry, procure weapons and sustain violent operations.
The experts Dr Sani Abubakar, a military scholar and defence expert, and Dr Steve Okwori, a defence analyst, made the remarks during interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Abubakar noted that illegal mining was one of the major drivers of insecurity in Nigeria, saying armed groups increasingly exploited strategic minerals to finance violent activities.
He said that intelligence assessments and field reports from Zamfara, Niger and Kaduna State, showed that gold, lithium and tantalum had become major revenue sources for bandits and other armed groups.
According to him, criminal groups have moved beyond extorting miners to taking control of mining sites, displacing communities and operating protection rackets around illegal mining activities.
He said proceeds from illegal mining were used to procure sophisticated weapons, pay fighters and sustain logistics, thereby effectively turning mineral-rich communities into war economies.
The military scholar therefore advocated a three-pronged strategy comprising comprehensive registration of miners, stronger law enforcement and formalisation of the mining sector to curb illegal activities.
He also called for a real-time database of licenced miners linked to the National Identification Number, intensified operations against illegal mining syndicates and reforms to attract credible investors while ensuring host communities benefitted from mining activities.
In the same vein, Okwori, described illegal mining as both an economic and national security challenge requiring urgent government intervention.
He said available intelligence indicated a strong connection between insecurity and illegal mining, particularly in Zamfara, where armed groups exploited gold, lithium and other strategic minerals to fund their operations.
According to him, weak governance and limited state presence have enabled criminal networks to control mining sites and smuggling routes, making illegal mining a major source of funding for insecurity.
He called for an intelligence-led, multi-agency approach involving security agencies, mining regulators and financial intelligence institutions to dismantle criminal supply chains.
Okwori said priority should be given to strengthening border security, deploying surveillance technology, prosecuting financiers and smugglers, and partnering with host communities to expose illegal mining activities.
He stressed that protecting legitimate mining operations while denying criminal groups access to mineral resources would significantly reduce insecurity in affected communities.
Similarly, a non-governmental organisation, Renevlyn Development Initiative, RDI, in its 2025 released report titled, “Silent Conquest: “The Chinese Infiltration of Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Sector”, exposed links between mining activities and insecurity in the country.
According to the RDI, the incursion into Nigeria’s solid minerals sector and mining host communities is aided by weak regulation, inconsistent monitoring, and limited government presence in mining areas.
Those gaps, the report said, opened the door for foreign companies, both licensed and unlicensed, to move into remote locations, exploit mineral deposits, and transport extracted materials with minimal oversight.
The report noted that the Nigeria’s lax visa system had also contributed to the problem, as many foreign nationals entered the country as tourists and then dispersed into mining fields where they operated unchecked.
It added that across major mineral-producing states including Nasarawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Plateau, Kwara, Bauchi, Ogun, and Anambra, foreign nationals have been repeatedly arrested for operating illegal mines or working for companies using fraudulent registrations.
“Several firms registered for agriculture or trading were found to be mining lithium, gold, monazite, ilmenite, and other high-value minerals. Arrests also reveal cases where foreign operators were in possession of mining equipment, refined and unrefined minerals, and tools associated with deep-forest extraction,” the report said.
It added that unlicensed mining had empowered criminal groups, created new trafficking routes, and destabilised parts of the North-West and North-Central.
“This shows that the incursion is not limited to economic exploitation; it now constitutes a national security risk,” RDI said
It emphasised that in some instances, foreign nationals have been apprehended alongside known criminal groups, confirming a link between illegal mining and wider security threats.
On April 15, 2023, The Times of London reported that foreign companies pay extremist groups to access mines in northern Nigeria.
The UK daily said that foreign nationals in the mining sector were allegedly funding militant groups to secure access to mineral reserves.
The report also claimed that foreign companies operating in conflict-prone areas have struck security deals with insurgents.
The report further alleged that some foreign nationals who worked informally as miners in Zamfara served as runners for militant groups in the North-West.
(NAN)
