FG offers 4,000 abandoned Plateau mine pits to investors for power, tourism

Dele Alake, Minister for Solid Minerals Development

The Federal Government has identified more than 4,000 abandoned mine pits across Plateau State as potential sites for new investments in energy, tourism and fishery, following decades of mining activities.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the government was seeking private investors willing to partner with it to transform the abandoned pits from dangerous sites into productive economic assets.

Alake made this known while reacting to the collapse of an abandoned tin mine pit at Kassa in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, which killed seven persons.

The minister warned illegal miners against risking their lives by entering abandoned pits without licences, saying the tragedy could have been avoided if the miners had formed a cooperative and obtained the necessary permit.

A statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Lara Owoeye-Wise, on Sunday quoted Alake as saying licensed artisanal miners would also have access to training provided by the ministry’s Artisanal Mining Department and a more sustainable source of income.

The minister commiserated with the Plateau State Government and the families of the victims, urging artisanal miners across the country to learn from the tragedy.

Alake said the government’s immediate challenge was to turn the thousands of abandoned mine pits into economically viable projects.

According to him, more than 4,000 mine pits were created by Amalgamated Tin Mines Limited and its successor companies, Consolidated Tin Mines Limited and Nigerian Tin and Allied Products Limited.

“The challenge before the state and the Federal Government is how to turn these potential pits of death into centres of joyful prosperity. There are over 4,000 mine pits dug by the mining conglomerate Amalgamated Tin Mines Limited and its successor companies- Consolidated Tin Mines Limited and Nigerian Tin and Allied Products Limited,” he said.

He said the sites, instead of remaining dangerous reminders of past mining activities, could be repurposed for productive ventures.

“The government welcomes investors interested in repurposing these pits for energy, tourism and fishery projects,” Alake said.

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The minister said public-private collaboration remained the fastest way to convert the abandoned sites into productive assets, noting that the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development had already rehabilitated 59 abandoned mine pits.

He said the government was also deploying technology to identify and assess the thousands of legacy pits and develop practical plans for their reclamation.

Alake disclosed that the ministry had commenced a strategic initiative involving advanced Geographic Information System satellite mapping and Artificial Intelligence under a public-private partnership with ImPPPact Nigeria Alliance and geomatics specialist, Intomatics.

He said Plateau State had been selected as the pilot beneficiary of the initiative, which would help locate and accurately characterise the abandoned pits and develop workflows for their rehabilitation.

The minister urged interested investors to approach the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office and the ministry’s Mines and Environmental Compliance Department for information on available opportunities.

He also encouraged investors to explore the funding programme of the Solid Minerals Development Fund.

Beyond addressing existing abandoned pits, Alake said the government was taking steps to prevent mining companies from leaving similar environmental hazards behind after operations.

He said he had activated the Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation Fund, which had previously existed largely as a constitutional provision without effective implementation.

“Very soon, we shall conclude discussions with the fund managers. Thenceforth, mining companies must pay into the Fund so that it can rehabilitate mine pits if the companies don’t do so during closure,” he said.

The latest development comes amid renewed efforts by the Federal Government to sanitise Nigeria’s mining sector, particularly artisanal and illegal mining operations, while attracting investment into the country’s largely untapped mineral resources.

The Plateau tragedy has also renewed concerns about the dangers posed by abandoned mining sites, particularly in communities where unlicensed miners continue to enter old pits in search of residual minerals.