Any ban on mining activities in Nigeria will create the highest level of insecurity ever witnessed anywhere in the World.
I can bet my life that Northern economy will completely collapse if mining activities are banned. Already the Nigerian economy is headed south!
All the anti-social groups operating in the North will finally have great harvests of members if Mining is banned.
Please the your Ministry of Mines did not tell you, the solid mineral sector in Northern Nigeria directly employs over 5 million people, and indirectly employs over 20 million people with its multiplier effect. Most of those directly employed are highly knowledgeable in the use of explosives, one of the major required materials in mining. let do ourself a favour to guess what will happen in Nigeria if about 30% or more of 5 million of people knowledgeable in explosives are thrown out of legitimate employment to economic uncertainties!
Such an idea should never be contemplated. It is a potentially nuclear idea! No one will come out of it. The government may not be aware that the recent drop in criminalities in Nasarawa State is because of the influx of Chinese in Nigeria looking for lithium bearing minerals.
As a social scientist, who have studied the relationship between the solid mineral sector and crime, I can bet my money that if mining is stopped today in Nigeria, either of two things will happen: it is either the policy is ignored, or the level of insecurities the thoughtless policy will create, will threaten cities like Abuja, which is sharing boundaries with Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger & Kaduna, major mining states.
This is dangerous and must not be entertained!
Ede O.G Nigeria