Pix: ACC John Onoja Attah, Commander, NSCDC Special Mining Marshals with an official of the UNODC during the capacity-building programme

Nigeria’s renewed battle against illegal mining has received a significant boost as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) commenced a specialised capacity-building programme for the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Mining Marshals. The initiative aims to enhance the tactical, legal and operational capabilities of the newly established unit tasked with protecting the country’s mineral resources from criminal exploitation.

According to officials, the programme focuses on modern investigative techniques, intelligence gathering, mineral site monitoring, environmental protection standards and inter-agency coordination. The training is expected to strengthen the nation’s response to illegal mining, a problem that is estimated to cost Nigeria over $9 billion annually in revenue losses, environmental degradation and insecurity across mining communities.

The Mining Marshals, inaugurated earlier this year by the Federal Government, were deployed to key mining corridors in Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Zamfara, Nasarawa and Kogi states. Their mandate includes enforcing mining regulations, protecting licensed operators, curbing the activities of armed mining syndicates and restoring order to Nigeria’s mineral sector, which has long been plagued by unregulated extraction and cartel operations.

UNODC representatives noted that the capacity-building initiative aligns with global best practices for resource governance and is part of a broader partnership framework to support Nigeria’s security institutions. They emphasised that strengthening the Mining Marshals will help the government confront the nexus between illegal mining, terrorism financing, and organised crime—an increasingly recognised threat in several mineral-rich states.

NSCDC authorities welcomed the programme, describing it as timely and essential for improving operational efficiency. They expressed confidence that the enhanced skills, tools and technical knowledge provided by UNODC will translate into more effective field operations, better protection of national assets, and increased revenue for the government. The partnership, they said, marks a major step forward in the ongoing effort to secure Nigeria’s mineral wealth and dismantle illegal mining networks nationwide.