The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and Environment has said that mining activities across the country must have minimized effect on the environment.
The minister, Dr. Dele Alake stated this while receiving his counterpart of the Environment Ministry, Balarabe Lawal in Lagos on Monday.
He said that, in line with international best practices, the government is taking collaborative steps to ensure that mining operations in the country have minimized adverse effect on the environment.
He reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian government on securing mining areas while removing impediments to seamless operations.
According to Alake, the President Bola Tinubu led administration was ready to ensure that mining processes conformed with global standards of negligible harmful impact on the environment.
On his part, the environment minister emphasized that issues on security around the mining sites and environmental degradation as a result of mining operations, must be addressed.
“Recently, the minister launched a solid minerals roadmap, which I think took care of the issue of the environment because whenever there is mining, the environment will be affected one way or the other.
“So, we are working very closely to see that whatever is being done will be within the limit of tolerable impact on the environment,” Lawal added.
