Nigeria’s effort to eliminate illegal mining and protect its mineral wealth has gained new momentum following the launch of a specialised capacity-building program by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals.
This initiative, which is part of the Canada-funded Project to Strengthen Nigeria’s Response to Criminal and Terrorist Finance Related to Minerals, aims to train personnel in the Mining Marshals Corps (MMC) to enhance their ability to detect, investigate, and disrupt criminal and terrorist financial networks associated with mineral exploitation.
Scheduled for 25–28 November 2025 in Abuja, the four-day workshop is designed to improve the operational capabilities of selected NSCDC officers in combating illicit financial flows linked to illegal mining, the financing of armed groups, and money laundering within the mineral value chain. It also aims to strengthen collaboration among law enforcement agencies tasked with protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources.
Meanwhile, UNODC has requested the nomination of 20 technical officers, including a coordinating officer, preferably those with hands-on experience dealing with illegal mining and mineral-related financial crimes. Director of Mines Inspectorate, Engr. Imam Akeyede Ganiyu represented the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake at the workshop’s opening.
The Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Abubakar Ahmed Audi, mni, OFR, praised the partnership with UNODC as “a collective global response to securing Nigeria’s mineral deposits from exploitation and criminal infiltration.” Represented by ACG Muktar Lawal, he reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to fully supporting the objectives of UNODC, noting that the initiative aligns with the federal government’s renewed agenda for resource protection.
John Onoja Attah, the Commander of the Mining Marshals Corps, described UNODC’s interest in the activities of the Mining Marshals as a strong endorsement of the government’s determination to sanitise the mineral sector. He pledged the unwavering dedication of his officers to the founding principles of the Corps, emphasising discipline, diligence, and proactive enforcement.
With illegal mining linked to revenue loss, insecurity, environmental degradation, and the financing of criminal networks, stakeholders believe that the UNODC-NSCDC collaboration marks a critical step toward enhancing Nigeria’s ability to protect its mineral resources and dismantle the illicit economies surrounding them.
The workshop is expected to set a new benchmark for coordinated, intelligence-driven protection of mineral resources in the country.
