Stakeholders Push for Community Engagement in Mining

During the Nigeria Mining Week in Abuja, mining industry stakeholders advocated for stronger engagement with host communities and increased local processing of gemstones to promote sustainable mining and economic growth. They emphasized that mining companies should build trust with communities from the exploration stage and invest in skills development, gemstone processing, and branding.

Panellists, including Francine Carrone, CEO of ESG Consultancy, and Madhurii Sarda-Amoda, community development and stakeholder manager at Segilola Operating Resources Ltd, stressed the need for mining firms to treat host communities as partners. They advised against imposing projects without consulting residents and highlighted the importance of community relations specialists.

Adeniran Ajibade, President of the Gemstones Miners and Marketers Association of Nigeria, called for organizing artisanal miners into cooperatives to improve operations and support formalization, which would enhance environmental management and community development. He also emphasized the necessity of training in gemstone mining and related skills.