By Emmanuel Antswen
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) says clustering mining and formalisation of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) will boost mineral exports.
Its Executive Secretary (ES), Mrs Nonye Ayeni, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Makurdi at a strategic engagement meeting on the promotion of clustering for formalisation of artisanal and small-scale mining activities for export competitiveness in Benue.
Represented by Mrs Chika Okany, Assistant Director, Solid Minerals Directorate, Ayeni said the engagement aligned directly with the council’s mandate to diversify Nigeria’s export base and to drive sustainable non-oil export growth.
The ES said the country was blessed with numerous mineral deposits, adding that Benue alone has over 40 mineral deposits in commercial quantities.
She said the continuous exportation of raw minerals over the years deprived the country of significant economic value.
Ayeni regretted that many mining communities and artisanal and small-scale mining operations remained largely informal, and these lead to several challenges which would be addressed during the engagement.
“If we must compete globally, informality must give way to structure, compliance, and value addition. Clustering is a strategic tool for transforming ASM into export-ready enterprises.
“Through cluster formation, miners can pool resources to establish shared processing centres, aggregation hubs, quality control laboratories and common facility centres.
“This reduces production costs and improves competitiveness,” she said.
The Head of the NEPC Benue office, Mrs Ann Adulugba, said the meeting reflected the stakeholders’ shared commitment to strengthening the mining sector and unlocking its vast potential for sustainable economic growth.
Adulugba said artisanal and small-scale mining plays a significant role in livelihood creation, local economic development, and mineral resource utilisation across our communities.
She lamented that many operators still function informally, which limits access to structured markets, financing opportunities, modern technology, and export channels.
“Today’s engagement is designed to foster dialogue, share knowledge, and build partnerships among key stakeholders.
“We aim to explore strategies that will support miners in transitioning from informal operations to structured, sustainable, and export-orientated enterprises,” she said.
In his goodwill message, Dr Vincent Mkpu, National President, Association of Solid Minerals Miners and Marketers of Nigeria (ASMMMON), said artisanal and small-scale mining remained one of the most under-structured, yet economically powerful, sectors in Nigeria’s solid minerals industry.
Mkpu, who was represented by the state chairman, ASMMMON, Dr James Uagh, said individual artisanal miners operating in isolation usually struggle to meet the needed standard and called for the formation of clusters.
Mr Alumo Orpin, Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment, said clustering encourages cooperation and shared services among miners.
Orpin, who was represented by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mrs Helen Nyikyaa, said it also improved compliance with regulatory and environmental standards.
He said formalisation is not all about regulation, as it is also about empowerment and bringing hard-working miners into the mainstream economy. NAN
