The Federal Government has rejected calls for a blanket suspension of mining activities across Northern Nigeria, insisting that a total shutdown would inflict severe economic damage on the region and the country, even as efforts intensify to curb insecurity linked to illegal mining.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, made the position known during an interaction with journalists in Abuja on Monday, explaining that while security concerns were legitimate, a wholesale ban on mining was neither practical nor sustainable.

According to the minister, strategic industrial facilities in the North depend heavily on mining operations, and halting them would disrupt production, jobs and investment. His views were conveyed through his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.

“There can’t be a blanket suspension of mining activities across the North because it will have far more adverse economic implications for the region and the nation,” Tomori said.

He noted that lithium processing plants in Nasarawa and around Abuja, an iron processing facility in Kaduna, and limestone mining supporting cement production in Kogi State would all be affected by a total ban.

Tomori added that engagements between the Federal Government and northern governors had led to a reconsideration of the proposed six-month suspension earlier canvassed by the Northern Governors’ Forum.

Rather than a sweeping ban, the Federal Government, he said, is adopting a targeted security strategy focused on identifying and dismantling criminal networks operating around mining sites.

This approach, he explained, is being implemented through a multi-agency security operation coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser, covering parts of the North-West, North-East and North-Central zones.

“What will work is to isolate areas severely affected by banditry and flush out non-state actors. That process is already ongoing,” Tomori said, stressing that legitimate miners should not be punished for the actions of illegal operators.

He disclosed that consultations with state governments were continuing, noting that the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, met with the minister in January as part of ongoing engagements.

On demands for a comprehensive audit and revalidation of mining licences, the minister confirmed that plans for a sector-wide audit were already underway.

“We announced last year that an audit of the entire sector is coming. The details are being finalised and will be made public when implementation begins,” he said.

To strengthen monitoring and enforcement, the Federal Government is also fast-tracking the deployment of satellite surveillance to track activities at mining sites nationwide, alongside other measures to enhance the effectiveness of mining marshals.

Tomori added that Nigeria was working with international partners to improve security outcomes, citing recent collaboration with the United States military as part of broader counter-insurgency efforts.

The Northern Governors’ Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council had, in December 2025, called for a six-month suspension of mining activities in the region, arguing that illegal mining had become a major source of funding for banditry.

The call followed a wave of deadly attacks, kidnappings and school raids in mining communities across states such as Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna and Katsina, which forced several northern states to temporarily shut schools.

Despite the Federal Government’s stance, some states have taken independent measures. Bauchi State, for instance, confirmed the suspension of mining activities in parts of Alkaleri Local Government Area over recurring insecurity, a move officials say has led to improved safety.

Meanwhile, other states, including Jigawa and Kwara, said they were still awaiting formal communication from the Federal Government on the proposed suspension, even as security analysts urge clearer policy direction, stronger regulation and faster action against illegal mining to prevent criminal groups from exploiting the sector.