Zamfara loses $500 million yearly to illegal mining, says governor

About $500 million is being lost yearly in Zamfara State to illegal exploration and processing of mineral resources in the state, Governor Abdul’aziz Yari Abubakar has said.

The governor who made this known yesterday at a stakeholders’ meeting to commemorate the 20 years of the state’s creation expressed dismay over the zero revenue deposit out of the total sum generated by illegal miners in the state.

Yari, who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, attributed the persistent recession facing the country to the total dependence of the country on the oil sector, stressing the need for the Federal Government to allow states to control their resources.

The governor maintained that records indicate that the Federal Government has issued mining processing licences within Zamfara State to over 1,000 small and large industries from different parts of the country.

“I want to inform this gathering that our state is in a serious problem. I was briefed that illegal mining business is rapidly increasing in the state leading to over $500 million being generated annually, and to my dismay, no single naira is going into the state account as revenue from this illegal mining,” Yari said.

He said if states are given the opportunity to control their resources, Zamfara State will be the most economically vibrant in the country, and called on the citizens to support his administration in building a solid foundation for the future development of the state.Earlier, the Sultan of Sokoto who is also the special guest on the occasion, congratulated the people of the state.