*Photo: Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Barr. Abdulmalik Mohammed Sarkin-Daji*
The Niger State House of Assembly has passed into law a Bill to provide for the administration of mineral resource-related activities, check insecurity, promote environmental protection and host community development, and establish the Niger State Mineral Resources Holding Company for State participation in mineral development and related matters, 2026.
The passage followed the presentation of the report of the House Standing Committee on Environment and Climate Change, Mineral Resources and Power and Renewable Energy by its Chairman, Hon. Mohammed Garba, Member Representing Agwara Constituency, during Tuesday’s plenary.
Presenting the report, Hon. Garba said the Committee engaged relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Environment and Climate Change and Justice, Niger State Internal Revenue Service, heads of communities and security agencies, to obtain their inputs on the proposed legislation.
He explained that the Committee carefully examined the Bill, particularly its objectives, institutional arrangements, environmental safeguards, host community provisions, revenue framework, investment opportunities and security implications.
According to him, the Committee found that although Niger State is richly endowed with solid mineral resources, the absence of a comprehensive State administrative framework has contributed to illegal mining, revenue leakages, environmental degradation and security challenges.
The Committee also established that the Bill would not interfere with the constitutional powers of the Federal Government over mining titles and mineral resources under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007. Rather, it would provide a framework for the State’s administrative, environmental, security and investment responsibilities in the sector.
Hon. Garba further stated that the proposed registration and profiling of mining operators would help the Government establish a reliable database for planning, monitoring, security coordination and revenue administration, while the proposed Niger State Mineral Resources Holding Company would provide a platform for the State to participate commercially in mineral development through investments, joint ventures and Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
The Committee recommended amendments to strengthen the Bill, particularly in the areas of constitutional compliance, registration and monitoring of mineral resource-related activities, environmental management, security coordination, investment promotion, host community development and State participation in mineral development.
The Committee further recommended that the Law should clearly state that the Government of Niger State shall not issue, renew, suspend or revoke mining titles, regulate ownership of mineral resources vested in the Federal Government, or impose royalties and other payments reserved for the Federal Government.
The Chairman stated that the Bill would establish an administrative framework for coordinating mineral resource-related activities within the constitutional powers of Niger State, while promoting investment, environmental sustainability, security coordination, host community development, data management and commercial participation by the State.
At the end of the presentation, the House dissolved into a Committee of the Whole to consider the Bill clause by clause. After consideration, the House unanimously adopted the Committee’s recommendations and subsequently passed the Bill into law.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Barr. Abdulmalik Mohammed Sarkin-Daji, who presided over the plenary, commended the Chairman and Members of the Committee for a job well done and directed the Clerk of the House, Mall. Farouk Umar Isah, to transmit clean copies of the Law to the Governor of Niger State for his assent.
