*Photo: Kano State Executive Council Meeting, Presided over by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf(right) on Wednesday *
The Kano State Executive Council, has approved the formal establishment and full operationalisation of the Kano State Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO), marking a giant stride in the state’s mineral resources sector.
*R-L : Hajiya Jamila Magaji Abdullahi (Accountant General), Engineer Dr. Gaddafi Sani Shehu(Commissioner Power & Renewable Energy), Alhaji Safiyanu Hamza Kachako ( Commissioner Mineral Resources) and two other commissioners*
The approval was granted at the 40th Executive Council Meeting of the Kano State Government, presided over by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, held on Wednesday, 22nd July, 2026, following the consideration of a memorandum presented by the Ministry of Mineral Resources.
Adamu Ibrahim Dabo, Director, Public Enlightenment, Ministry of Mineral Resources, Kano State, said in a press statement on Thursday, 23rd July, 2026, that “The establishment of the Committee is in line with Section 19 of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (NMMA), 2007, which provides for the establishment of Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committees at the state level.”
He added that “The initiative is designed to strengthen the state’s role in the management of mining-related activities, safeguard its statutory interests in land usage, enhance internally generated revenue through applicable surface rents and environmental levies, and promote harmonious relationships between mining operators and host communities.
“The Committee, upon full operationalisation, will serve as an important platform for collaboration among relevant stakeholders in the mining sector and will advise the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development and the Executive Governor of Kano State on matters affecting mineral resource exploitation in the state.”
It will also oversee the implementation of the state’s revenue framework, including the collection of applicable surface rents, environmental compliance fees, local haulage levies and other legitimate charges associated with sand dredging, quarrying and mineral extraction activities.
In addition, MIREMCO will facilitate negotiations and implementation of Community Development Agreements (CDAs) between mining operators and host communities, with a view to promoting peaceful coexistence, preventing conflicts and ensuring that mining communities benefit from activities taking place in their areas.
The Committee will equally promote environmental compliance by ensuring adherence to relevant Environmental Impact Assessment requirements and encouraging the reclamation of abandoned quarry pits and degraded mining sites.
Another key responsibility of the Committee will be to support the formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining operators into legally recognised and taxable cooperatives, thereby promoting responsible mining practices and improving the contribution of the sector to the state’s economy.
“The approved composition of the Committee includes the Honourable Commissioner for Mineral Resources as Chairman, to be nominated by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, for formal appointment by the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development,” Dabo further disclosed.
Other members will comprise representatives of the Kano State Ministries of Mineral Resources, Environment, and Lands and Physical Planning; the Federal Mines Officer, Kano State Command; the Mines Inspectorate Department; the Kano State Emirate Council or host communities; and representatives of relevant surveying and geological professional bodies.
The operationalisation of MIREMCO is expected to provide significant economic benefits to Kano State through a structured framework for the collection of legitimate surface rents, environmental remediation levies and applicable road usage or haulage fees from mining and quarrying operations across the state.
The initiative is also expected to strengthen environmental governance, improve community relations, encourage responsible exploitation of mineral resources and increase the state’s internally generated revenue without infringing on the statutory royalty rights of the Federal Government.
The Executive Council further directed the Ministry of Mineral Resources, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS), to commence the implementation of the state’s fiscal framework on applicable surface rents, environmental levies and haulage fees for mining and quarrying operators in the state.
The statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry assured that
“The Kano State Government remains committed to promoting responsible and sustainable mineral resource development, protecting the environment, enhancing the welfare of host communities and maximising the economic benefits of the state’s abundant mineral resources for the overall development of Kano State.”
