By Nkechi Eze
The Commander of the Mining Marshals, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Assistant Commandant Attah John Onoja, has called for strategic resource nationalism and stronger security measures to protect Nigeria’s mineral resources and drive economic diversification.
Onoja made the call while delivering a keynote presentation at the 4th Nigerian Nation Builders Annual Conference in Abuja, themed, “Effective Harnessing and Utilization of Solid Minerals as Panacea for Nation Building in Nigeria.”
He said Nigeria’s vast mineral deposits constituted strategic national assets capable of strengthening economic sovereignty, creating employment, promoting industrialisation and reducing the country’s dependence on crude oil.
Onoja, who addressed participants drawn from government institutions, the private sector, academia and civil society, however, identified illegal mining, regulatory violations, revenue leakages and limited value addition as major challenges hindering the development of the solid minerals sector.
He warned that illegal mining had gone beyond an economic and environmental concern to become a national security issue, noting that criminal exploitation of mineral resources could contribute to banditry, terrorism, money laundering and significant revenue losses.
According to him, protecting strategic mineral assets from criminal networks while ensuring that legitimate operators and host communities benefit from the sector is critical to sustainable national development.
Highlighting the operational activities of the Mining Marshals, Onoja disclosed that the specialised unit had restored more than 100 mining sites to their rightful owners and made approximately 700 arrests in connection with illegal mining.
He added that several of the cases were currently before the Federal High Court.
Onoja explained that the Mining Marshals were established as a strategic security intervention to support efforts to sanitise the mining sector, protect legitimate title holders and investments, secure mining communities and create a conducive environment for responsible investment.
He called for the formalisation of artisanal mining, improved transparency in mineral data, increased local value addition and enforceable community development agreements as measures to build a sustainable mining ecosystem.
Advocating what he described as “Strategic Resource Nationalism,” Onoja urged Nigeria to place national interests at the centre of the management and utilisation of its strategic mineral resources.
He said minerals should be viewed not merely as commodities for export but as resources capable of supporting industrialisation, technological advancement, employment generation and national prosperity.
The Commander also noted that the geographical distribution of mineral resources across the country’s geopolitical zones provided opportunities for local economic development and reduced dependence on federal allocations and crude oil revenues.
Onoja commended the leadership of the NSCDC Commandant General, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, for strengthening the Corps’ operational capacity and professionalism, particularly in protecting critical national assets.
He said the establishment and continued operations of specialised interventions such as the Mining Marshals demonstrated the Corps’ response to emerging security challenges in the extractive sector.
The conference also featured commendations for the Mining Marshals’ activities. Representing the Chairman of the Occasion, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, Rear Admiral Olusanya Bankole (Rtd.) commended Onoja for his professionalism and commitment to national service.
Bankole also acknowledged the unit’s efforts in combating illegal mining, protecting legitimate mining interests, safeguarding national revenue and supporting efforts to restore investor confidence in the sector.
Onoja consequently called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, security agencies, the legislature, judiciary, traditional institutions, host communities and legitimate investors to improve the protection and responsible exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral resources.
He said the real value of the country’s mineral wealth lies in its capacity to generate jobs, support industries, improve livelihoods and contribute to sustainable national development.
