Nigeria as a nation is blessed with relevant resources of solid mineral that have the capacity to lure investors and business investments to enhance growth economically in the nation. These resources go from Copper, Columbite, Iron, Tin, Gold, Diamond, and so on.Unfortunately, this resource gifts is being underplayed by continuous unlawful mineral mining by people including nationals of other countries, believed to be financed by illegal investors. The Nigerian government may have lost billions of naira in years, owing to unlawful and unjust activities of operators in her mineral sector. Unlawful and unlicensed mineral mining started getting obvious immediately after Nigeria got independence in 1960. The federal government primarily own mining rights but it releases licenses for exploration work, mineral mining and its sales. Where there is no adequate policy, unlawful mineral mining continues unchecked federal government may lose royalties and revenues accruable to it. This paper presents the loopholes and the ways to curtail the activities of illegal mining of minerals in Nigeria.
Keywords: Government, Minerals, Mining, Monitoring, Nigeria, Reform, foreigners, illegal, license, mining rights, services
