15 Suspects arrested with Radioactive Solid Minerals in Kaduna
Operatives of the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have arrested 15 male suspects for their alleged involvement in illegal dealing on radioactive solid minerals. The suspects were intercepted and arrested on Sunday, March 8, 2026 along Suleja-Maji Road, Niger State, while conveying the suspected solid minerals in three trucks to several locations across Nigeria...
IWD2026: Women in Mining seeks better access to technical training, support for women miners
Dr Adeyemi There is need for increased access to technical training and professional development to support women in the mining sector, the National President of Women in Mining in Nigeria (WIMIN), Dr Janet Adeyemi, has said. Dr Adeyemi made the call in a special message to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) on Monday in Abuja.This is according to a statement...
NSCDC operatives attached to BUA Cement, others arrest suspected illegal miners at Okpella axis of Edo State
Alleged illegal miners operating within Okpella axis of Edo Statewere among the 16 suspects just arrested for alleged sundry criminal activities in Edo and Kano States. The coordinated arrests were carried out by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), through the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG-SIS) in collaboration with the NSCDC Kano State Command and operatives attached...
Alake to international investors: Tinubu’s reforms driving growth in Nigeria’s Mining sector
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has credited the rapid growth of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector to President Bola Tinubu's reforms.According to Alake, the gains include increase in the sector's contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP),more foreign direct investment and the country's rising profile as the best destination for mining.Speaking through the...
International Women’s Day: Thoughts on Women in Mining and impact of SMDF
*Hajia Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi, Executive Secretary of Solid Minerals Development Fund* As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2026 today, Sunday, 8 March, under the theme “Give to Gain,” the mining industry finds itself at a critical juncture. Long considered the ultimate "male-dominated" frontier, the sector is finally beginning to unearth the immense value that gender diversity brings to the surface. The Current...
Niger Republic revokes licenses of 3 gold mining firms, UK oil coy
Niger’s military government has cancelled concessions held by three gold mining and processing companies as it intensifies efforts to assert control over the country’s natural resources.The country's military government said Thursday it had canceled the three gold mining companies’ concessions and denied a licence extension to a British oil company, accusing them of failing to respect their obligations.The move...
SMDF delivers LBMA-Standard gold to CBN, boosting Nigeria’s Gold Reserves to $3.5b
*Yemi Cardoso, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria(2nd left) and Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi, Executive Secretary, Solid Minerals Development Fund(2nd right) and officials of the agency at the presentation ceremony The Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Hajiya Fatima Umaru Shinkafi, has announced the successful delivery of additional responsibly sourced gold, refined to London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Good Delivery...
NIPR lauds SMDF Executive Secretary’s transformative leadership
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has commended the Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), Fatima Shinkafi, for what it called her visionary leadership, creativity, and innovative efforts in advancing Nigeria’s economic growth. According to a statement by SMDF’s Head of Corporate Communications, Idowu Jokpeyibo, the commendation was delivered by an NIPR delegation which visited the...
Children among 200 killed in DR Congo’s coltan mine collapse
More than 200 people have been killed, including dozens of children, in a major landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), officials reported on Wednesday. The disaster struck the Kasasa mining area in the Masisi territory of North Kivu province on Tuesday, following torrential rains. Around 70 children were among the...
CBN Raises Gold Reserves To $3.5bn
*Photo R-L: Yemi Cardoso, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria and Fatima Umaru-Shinkafi, Executive Secretary, Solid Minerals Development Fund* The Central Bank of Nigeria has received domestically sourced gold refined to international standards into the country’s foreign reserves, raising its total gold holdings to about $3.5bn. The apex bank disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, 4th March, 2026,noting that the...
