The All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Bola Tinubu says he’ll push for “legal mining” of natural resources if elected president in 2023.
This past Tuesday, Tinubu addressed the APC presidential rally in Kaduna state’s Ahmadu Bello stadium.
Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the APC, Kashim Shettima, the party’s vice presidential candidate, and Nasir el-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna, were among the prominent politicians that showed up to the event.
Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, and Simon Lalong of Plateau were among the other governors in attendance.
The former governor of Lagos has stated that his industrial programme will restore the country’s ailing manufacturing sector.
Tinubu pledged that his administration would improve transportation and commerce along the Abuja-Kaduna and Zaria-Kano roads.
“Our industrial policy will make industries work again. Meanwhile, we shall give the youth the training, access and policy support to explore new economic frontiers in the digital economy and other uses of technology to create new goods and services that benefit the entire population,” Tinubu was reported as saying by his media adviser, Tunde Rahman.
“Our infrastructural policy will promote nationwide road and rail transport, enabling small businesses to easily transport their goods across state lines and engage in productive trade throughout the land.
“Federal roads, especially the Abuja-Kaduna, and Zaria-Kano roads, will be turned into productive and safe highways for travel and commerce.
“Bringing jobs and cheaper power for your homes and businesses, the AKK gas pipeline completion will be a top priority, helping to fuel the region’s economy literally.
“We shall bring order to the mining industry by discouraging illegal and dangerous mining and promoting legal mining to bring better jobs, economic prosperity and security to Kaduna.”
Meanwhile, the federal government has voiced concern over unlawful mining activities on multiple occasions, and it has reaffirmed its intent to pursue anyone who violates environmental rules.
It was discovered in an investigation that illegal mining in Osun contributes to poverty, river pollution, and the devastation of sacred groves.
In an effort to curb the escalating instability across the country, the federal government revealed in July 2022 its plans for a statewide ban on commercial motorbikes, often known as okada, as well as mining activities.