The federal government says plans are underway to adopt new policies in the mining sector to ensure safety and security of investments in the country.
This was made known by the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, who led a delegation on a condolence visit to Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, over the recent collapse of a mining site in Shiroro local government area of the State.
Alake explained that henceforth, mining companies must comply with the new policies which include having a concrete plan for local value-addition, remediation plan and insurance policy for mine workers before their licence would be approved by the Ministry.
The minister, who commended Governor Bago for his responsive and proactive measures in mobilising rescue efforts also thanked security personnel, traditional leaders, and members of the community for their efforts to rescue some of the victims.
He also commiserated with the families of the victims, the affected community, and the Niger State government, assuring that every effort would be deployed to ensure that those still trapped are safely rescued.
In his response, Governor Bago commended the Federal Government for the new policies aimed at preventing future occurrence just as he also thanked the government for the 50million naira donation to the victims of the incident, assuring that the fund would be delivered to them.
