Nigeria Crackdown on Illegal Mining

Nigeria has intensified its crackdown on illegal mining, with Henry Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, announcing the transfer of foreign nationals suspected of illegal mining and terrorism links to the Nigeria — Office of the National Security Adviser for further investigation. This action comes amid concerns raised by United States lawmakers regarding alleged links between illegal Chinese mining operations and terrorism funding in Nigeria. So far, over 327 individuals have been arrested, 142 are facing prosecution, and approximately 3,000 mining licenses have been revoked. President Bola Tinubu's reforms are credited with significantly increasing revenue from the solid minerals sector, from ₦6 billion in 2023 to over ₦70 billion by December 2025. The government has also deployed 2,500 mining marshals from the Nigeria — Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to combat illegal activities. President Bola Tinubu has also called for resource theft and illegal mining in West Africa to be designated as international crimes.