Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The Senate on Wednesday directed far-reaching reforms to improve safety standards in Nigeria’s mining sector following the deaths of 20 artisanal miners in a landslide at Alufele in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State, urging the federal government to tighten regulation of mining operations and establish compensation and insurance schemes for workers.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East), who warned that unsafe mining practices and weak regulatory oversight had continued to expose miners and host communities to avoidable disasters.
Leading debate on the motion, Jibrin said the July 14 landslide at Alufele in Enjema District trapped dozens of artisanal and small-scale miners underground, leaving 20 dead, several others injured and heavy-duty trucks submerged in collapsed mining pits during loading operations.
He noted that coal mining remains a major economic activity in communities such as Enjema, Okaba and Ikah, as well as parts of Omala and Olamaboro Local Government Areas within the Ankpa Coal Block of the Anambra Basin.
He warned that the area’s fragile geological formation makes it particularly vulnerable to landslides and ground collapse when mining is carried out without adequate safety measures.
According to him, many of the recurring accidents in the area are linked to unsafe mining methods, including the use of the room-and-pillar extraction system without sufficient structural reinforcement, as well as the location of loading points too close to unstable mining pits.
He also lamented the plight of artisanal miners, many of whom operate without formal employment, health insurance, life insurance or occupational hazard protection, leaving victims of mining accidents and their families without compensation or social support.
Following the debate, the Senate urged the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, through its Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Department, to carry out a nationwide audit of licensed miners and mining sites to strengthen monitoring, enforcement and compliance with safety regulations.
The upper chamber also called for the establishment of a statutory Mining Workers’ Compensation Scheme, funded through mandatory contributions from licensed mining operators, to provide compensation for occupational injuries, permanent disabilities, occupational diseases and fatalities arising from mining activities.
Lawmakers further directed the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, to develop a compulsory occupational accident insurance scheme covering all categories of miners, including artisanal and small-scale operators working under recognised cooperatives and community mining arrangements.
In addition, the Senate recommended the creation of a Mine Rehabilitation and Victims Support Fund to finance emergency medical treatment, rehabilitation services, compensation for injured miners, educational support for children of deceased workers and livelihood assistance for affected families.
To ensure implementation of the resolutions, the Senate mandated its Committees on Solid Minerals Development, Environment, Labour, Employment and Productivity, and Health to engage the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies and report back to the chamber within six weeks.
The lawmakers also observed a minute’s silence in honour of the 20 miners who lost their lives in the Alufele tragedy, reaffirming the Senate’s commitment to strengthening mining safety regulations, protecting workers and promoting responsible mining practices across the country.
