Northern Governors Demand Six-Month Mining Suspension, Launch ₦228 Billion Security Fund to Tackle Insecurity
By Erewunmi Peace
In a major show of unity and concern over rising insecurity across Northern Nigeria, the 19 northern governors, together with traditional rulers, have urged Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend all mining activities across the region for six months.
The call followed a joint session of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. The leaders said illegal and artisanal mining operations have become a “major contributory factor” to the security crises plaguing many states, fueling banditry, kidnappings, and financing criminal networks.
As part of their proposed measures, the governors recommended that all mining licences be re-validated. They argued the six-month suspension would allow for a comprehensive audit and help purge illicit mining activities across the North.
In addition to the mining moratorium, the Northern leaders announced the establishment of a regional Northern Security Trust Fund. Under the plan, each state and its local governments would contribute ₦1 billion monthly — a collective sum expected to reach roughly ₦228 billion annually — to finance security operations, intelligence-led interventions, and coordinated joint operations aimed at combating banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping.
The governors also reaffirmed their support for the creation of a State Police — a decentralised policing framework they believe is crucial for more effective security response across vast and diverse communities in the region.
In a communiqué read at the end of the meeting, the NSGF Chairman, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, emphasised that the combined measures — mining suspension, security fund, and state police — represent “the boldest collective action” by northern leaders to confront the deepening security challenges.
The Forum expressed condolences to states recently affected by attacks and mass abductions, while praising ongoing efforts by security agencies and the federal government to rescue kidnapped victims in parts of the North.
Whether the federal government — through the Ministry of Solid Minerals or the Office of the President — will act on the recommendation remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that many Northern leaders now view illegal mining not just as an environmental or regulatory concern, but a serious national-security risk.
