Reported by Usman Ishaq Shehu
The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken a decisive step to strengthen national security and economic integrity by partnering with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to combat terrorist financing, money laundering, and illicit financial flows in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
The partnership was formalised during a high-level meeting in Abuja between the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, and UNODC officials. Supported by the Canadian government, the initiative aims to boost the capacity of Nigeria’s criminal justice institutions to detect, investigate, and prosecute financial crimes associated with illegal mining and the financing of armed groups.
President Tinubu has also approved the deployment of satellite-based mine surveillance systems to monitor and curb illicit mining operations in remote regions. UNODC’s Counter-Terrorism Project Coordinator, Mr. Tom Parker, commended the recent deployment of specially trained Mining Marshals by the NSCDC and pledged continued support to ensure the success of the joint initiative. This partnership marks a critical component of the Tinubu administration’s broader efforts to sanitise the mining sector, dismantle criminal networks, and protect Nigeria’s natural resources for sustainable national development.
