With the federal government now beaming its searchlight on the mining sector after decades of neglect, Ogun State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Mine Workers, Comrade Alhaji Fasiu Alao Abiola, who doubles as Deputy President, Nigeria Union of Mines Workers National, opens up on the hydra-headed problem of illegal mining, workers’ insurance and the prospect of investing in the sector in this exclusive interview with David Meshioye.

Our reader would like you to shed more light on the daily activities of the union.
The mines sector deals with mining products excavated from the ground, except petroleum. According to the Labour Act, each union is given the jurisdiction to operate, and our jurisdiction is based on dealing with gold, diamond, granite, limestone, and many more, except petrol.

Ogun State is known for its numerous natural resources. How much has it impacted the state and the local community economically
The impact of mine products in Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole is huge. We are pushing it gradually because the time has come for our government to invest in the mining sector. Apart from oil, another way that the government can generate revenue is in the mining sector. I commend Dangote and Lafarge for investing in the sector, they are doing their bit for the host community and the country at large. However, the time has come for Nigerians to embrace the sector because the gains are extremely huge.

Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake has continued to say that the continuous presence of illegal miners in the northern and southern parts of the country has been a major headache for this government. What is Ogun State doing to ensure such practice is reduced to the barest minimum
I have strong faith in the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Many felt Dele Alake would be the information minister, and I want to believe it was Alake who said the mining sector needs lots of revamping. He is being threatened in the north, where illegal miners made billions of naira illegally. They thought it would be business as usual without giving back to the government, but Alake is doing everything to put an end to that illicit practice. That is why we have many bandits in the northern part of the country.
Alake is doing his best to ensure the mining sector comes alive in Nigeria. I, the president and the secretary general of our union, have been to his office, and you only need to see how much Alake desires to end illicit mining and ensure the Nigerian government generates billions from the sector. It is a problem that has been there for decades, and you will agree with me that it cannot be fixed overnight. I believe this present government is laying a good foundation to better the sector.

Talking about foreign investors, what are the challenges coming from foreign investors like the Chinese
Nigeria has been one of the best destinations when it comes to foreign investment, irrespective of our security challenges. I believe President Bola Tinubu is doing a lot to ensure that the mining sector is well organised to guide against capital flight, we don’t want a situation where foreign investors will come here and cart away our mineral resources.

Aside from capital flight, what are your major challenges in Ogun State
The mining sector in Ogun State is faced with numerous challenges, which we have been battling with for the past seven years now. Presently, the Chinese are the ones dictating the sector in Ogun State, and I see no reason why the government cannot have a quarry; the fact that it did not work out well in the oil sector doesn’t mean it cannot work in the mining sector. I salute the courage of Dangote for putting up the largest quarry at Ijebu-Igbo. I believe that if the government can encourage Nigerians to invest in the mining sector, it will surely create more jobs and offer a better life to Nigerians.

Why should I invest in the mining sector, considering the economic risk? What do I stand to gain
You have a lot to gain if you bring in your millions in the mining sector. I see no reason why you cannot make great profits if the foreign investors are raking in millions of dollars. The Chinese flooded the mining sector 18 years ago and today, some of them now have three to five quarries, so what is stopping Nigerians from doing the same?

The mining sector is also filled with lots of accidental hazards. Tell us what your union is doing to protect the interests of mine workers, most especially in the areas of health and life insurance.
The Union is working in collaboration with the government to ensure that Nigerians working at the quarries are protected. That is why we said we need government support to execute this plan because the Chinese place most of these workers on casual work conditions contrary to what labour laws say. There are no retirement plans in place for these workers, and they are mostly fired without any compensation if they commit any minor offence. This is where we have come in. The Chinese once invited me over to say that they won’t condone any union in their company, but I declined and told them in clear terms that they cannot treat Nigerians as slaves in their fatherland. I told them to put in place all that is required for workers to operate without any fear of accidents, and I think the Chinese employers are trying now, unlike before.

And what is the State government doing in that respect
The present government in Ogun State, led by His Excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun, is doing a lot to help the sector. One of the things he did was to reach out to the House of Assembly to pass some resolutions that would be of great advantage to the citizens of the state.

When the time comes for you to step down from your position, what would you want your legacy to be? What would you like to be remembered for
My legacy is to ensure that the state government guides the mining sector because only the government can stop the Chinese from taking away the livelihood of Nigerians. I want to be remembered as the man who worked with the government to come up with policies that would protect the local community from the oppression of foreign investors. That is what I want my legacy to be.
The government might not decide to come in fully, but Nigerians need government support. For example, if the Bank of Industry (BOI) can offer soft loans to Nigeria with one-digit interest and not the 33 per cent interest rate and ensure that investors are well-guided, it will go a long way to encourage investors. The mining business is a lucrative business that runs into billions. This is the time for Nigerians to compete with the Chinese investors because the future of the sector is bright.

Thank you for your time

My pleasure always