llegal mining leaves South African provinces facing millions in road-repair bill
Illegal mining is leaving a multimillion-rand trail of infrastructure damage across South Africa, with roads, bridges, electricity networks and water facilities increasingly bearing the cost of an underground economy that is destabilising communities above ground. The damage is no longer confined to abandoned shafts and mine workings. Across mining-affected areas, the consequences are surfacing in collapsing roads, unstable ground, damaged...
Nigeria @ 66: From mineral wealth to economic value
*Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake By Martha Agas (News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)Nigeria is blessed with solid minerals with at least 44 mineral deposits in commercial quantities across more than 500 locations nationwide.This vast mineral wealth analysts say, offers the country an opportunity to reposition the sector and reduce its dependence on oil revenue.They say the country’s focus...
A Comedy of Errors of the Framework Il-literati,- By Kehinde Bamigbetan
*Kehinde Bamigbetan. The narrative is simple. On September 24, 2026, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development issued a press statement on the groundbreaking signing of the Framework of Investment in the solid minerals sector by Nigeria and the United States at the Nigerian Mission in New York, United States. The statement quoted the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, extensively...
HOMEF urges FG to provide civil society, public with full details of the mining MoU with U.S.
*Dr Alake (left) with Christopher Landau The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on the Federal Government to provide the public and civil society with the full details of the recent MoU on mining reached with the government of the United States. HOMEF, in a statement issued today in Benin, said there is need to move beyond high-level announcements...
African mining chambers and Nigerian business leadership put policy certainty on the agenda at Nigeria Mining Week 2026
Ghana and Botswana Chambers of Mines join NACCIMA in Abuja as the 11th edition focuses on the conditions that turn investment interest into commitmentThe chief executives of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Botswana Chamber of Mines will join the Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) at Nigeria Mining Week...
Nigeria Mining Week 2026 Programme Released: From Exhibition Floor to the Deal Room
If you work in or around Nigeria’s mining sector, this October is the moment to be in Abuja. Nigeria Mining Week 2026 returns to the Abuja Continental Hotel from 12–14 October under the theme “Unlocking Investment and Growth through Partnerships”, and the full programme is now available. Start on the exhibition floor, for freeEntry to the exhibition on 13 and...
Industry experts welcome U.S.-Nigeria deal on solid minerals development
By Martha AgasSome experts have welcomed the U.S. and Nigeria agreement on solid minerals development, saying it will help reposition the sector and increase its contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).The experts told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the move would stimulate economic growth and reinforce the solid minerals sector as a viable...
Emerge Moves Into Evaluation Phase As SMDF Targets Nigeria’s $750BN Mineral Potential
...Grant programme closes application window, enters technical assessment ahead of Q4 2026 award of beneficiaries By Yunus Olawale *Executive Secretary/CEO of the Solid Minerals Development Fund, Hajia Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi. The Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), under the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has commenced the next phase of its Early-Stage Mineral Exploration and Research Grant Endowment (EMERGE) programme, following the closure...
C’River constitues panel to probe complaints by Giant Cement Company against state’s Task Force on Illegal Mining
*Members of the probe panel and the Cross State River the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Ededem C. Ani. The Cross River State Government has constituted a seven-member committee to investigate complaints raised by Giant Cement Company Limited over the activities of the State Task Force on Illegal Mining Operations. The committee, headed by the Solicitor General and Permanent...
Africa rejects new scramble for minerals, seeks fair partnerships – Ghanaian president
Africa will not accept another era of colonial-style resource extraction as global demand for critical minerals grows, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama has told the UN General Assembly (UNGA), calling for structural reforms to address historical injustices.The remarks come as the US and EU pursue deals with African governments to secure minerals such as copper, cobalt, and lithium for...
