The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Taraba State in harnessing its vast natural resources for the benefit of its people.

This assurance was given on Monday in Jalingo by the Federal Mines Officer overseeing the state’s Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Engineer Kutman Hosea Ali, during the Mining Sector Roadmap Development Stakeholders Engagement Validation Workshop.

The workshop, themed “Harnessing Partnership for Development and Investment in Sustainable Mining Sector Value Chain in Taraba,” was organized by April Benjamin and Dawn Communication Ltd in collaboration with BioS04 Finland and the Bureau for Solid Minerals Taraba State.

Speaking, Engineer Ali emphasized that the Federal Government would ensure that mining companies operating in the state comply strictly with legal requirements.

“We will ensure that any company that wants to mine in Taraba State must operate legitimately and legally, with fully activated mining licenses. Community development agreements are paramount. Companies must provide social amenities to host communities, a practice known as corporate social responsibility in the public domain,” he said.

In his keynote address, the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Gebon Timothy Kataps, disclosed that mining activities in the state were largely unregulated before Governor Agbu Kefas assumed office in 2023.

“You wouldn’t know who was licensed to mine. Everyone seemed to be a miner,” Kataps stated.

He explained that the current administration has restructured the sector through executive orders to ensure responsible resource exploitation and environmental protection, while also creating a secure environment for investors.

Kataps further called for the swift implementation of the mining roadmap, noting that relevant data and statistics would soon be made available online to provide investors worldwide with easy access to information about Taraba’s mineral resources.

Former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abel Peter Diah, reiterated that the state remains open to responsible mining but will not tolerate illegal operations. He stressed the importance of legal compliance, community engagement, and transparency in payments to local workers.

“Government has invested heavily in security. Recently, we discovered that irresponsible miners and investors use mining as a cover to fund banditry,” Diah warned.