Senate urges FG to audit licensed miners, establish compensation scheme for mining workers

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — The Senate has urged the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, to conduct an audit of licensed miners and their areas of operation across the country to strengthen monitoring and regulation of mining activities.

The upper chamber also called for the establishment of a statutory Mining Workers’ Compensation Scheme, to be funded through mandatory contributions by licensed mining operators, to provide compensation for occupational injuries, permanent disabilities, occupational diseases and deaths arising from mining activities.

The resolutions were reached on Wednesday following the consideration of a motion titled: “Urgent Need to Address the Escalating Safety Risks, Environmental Hazards and Humanitarian Concerns Arising from Unsafe Coal Mining Activities in Ankpa and Other Coal-Bearing Communities in Kogi State.”

The motion was sponsored by Senator Isah Jibrin (APC, Kogi East) under matters of urgent national importance.

The Senate also urged the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), in collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, to develop compulsory occupational accident insurance for all categories of miners, including artisanal and small-scale miners operating under recognised mining cooperatives or community mining arrangements.

It further called for the establishment of a Mine Rehabilitation and Victims Support Fund to provide emergency medical treatment, rehabilitation and compensation for injured miners, educational support for children of deceased miners, and livelihood assistance for affected families.

The Senate mandated its Committees on Solid Minerals Development; Environment; Labour, Employment and Productivity; and Health to engage relevant ministries, departments and agencies on the implementation of the resolutions and report back within six weeks.

The chamber also observed a minute silence in honour of victims of the landslide that occurred at Alufele in Enjema District, within the Ankpa coal mining area of Kogi State, on July 14, 2026.

Presenting the motion, Senator Jibrin said coal mining remained a major economic activity in Ankpa Local Government Area, particularly in coal-bearing communities such as Enjema, Okaba and Ikah, as well as parts of Omala and Olamaboro Local Government Areas within the Ankpa Coal Block of the Anambra Basin.

He noted that the coal deposits in the area are overlain by lateritic materials, loose sandstone, mudstone, clay, shale and unconsolidated sediments, which make the terrain vulnerable to subsidence, landslides and ground failure, especially under heavy mechanical pressure.

The lawmaker expressed sadness over the July 14, 2026 incident in Alufele, where a ground failure trapped artisanal and small-scale miners underground, while several trucks reportedly sank into mining pits during loading operations, resulting in the death of 20 workers and injuries to others.

He said the incident exposed the dangerous conditions under which mining activities were being carried out in the area.

Jibrin raised concerns over unsafe mining practices, particularly the use of room-and-pillar mining methods without adequate reinforcement using timber, steel or concrete supports, which he said had increased the risks of mine collapses and fatal accidents.

The senator also expressed concern that the location of heavy-duty loading points close to unstable mining pits had worsened geological risks, exposing miners, transport operators and nearby communities to avoidable dangers.

He further noted that many artisanal miners operate without employment contracts, social security protection, health insurance, life insurance or occupational hazard insurance, leaving victims and their families without financial support after accidents.

According to him, families of deceased miners and those who suffer permanent injuries are often left without adequate compensation, rehabilitation or alternative sources of livelihood despite the economic benefits derived from mineral exploitation.

The Senate expressed concern that repeated mine collapses, landslides and related accidents posed serious threats to human lives, the environment, economic activities and public safety.

It stressed the need for urgent legislative and executive action to introduce mandatory insurance coverage and enforceable compensation mechanisms for artisanal and small-scale miners.

The Senate noted that leading mining jurisdictions had institutionalised compulsory workers’ compensation insurance and occupational health protection schemes, under which mining operators are required to provide medical care, rehabilitation, disability benefits and compensation to affected workers and families.

It warned that without immediate intervention, unsafe mining practices and unstable geological conditions in the Ankpa Coal Block could lead to recurring mine disasters, environmental degradation and loss of valuable mining assets.

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