Nigeria’s efforts to curb illegal mining and protect its vast mineral resources have received a significant boost as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) begins a specialised capacity building programme for the Mining Marshals of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The training initiative, funded by Canada under its Project to Strengthen Nigeria’s Response to Criminal and Terrorist Finance Related to Minerals, is designed to enhance the ability of Mining Marshals Corps personnel to detect, investigate, and disrupt criminal and terrorist financing networks linked to mineral exploitation.

Scheduled to run from 25 to 28 November 2025 in Abuja, the four day workshop will deepen the operational skills of selected NSCDC officers in tackling illicit financial flows associated with illegal mining, the financing of armed groups, and money laundering across the mineral value chain. The programme will also promote stronger interagency cooperation among bodies involved in securing Nigeria’s mineral assets.

UNODC has requested the nomination of 20 technical officers including a coordinating officer, preferably individuals with practical experience in handling illegal mining cases and mineral related financial crimes.

Declaring the workshop open, the Commandant General of the NSCDC, Prof. Abubakar Ahmed Audi (mni, OFR), applauded the UNODC partnership, describing it as “a vital global collaboration aimed at protecting Nigeria’s mineral deposits from exploitation and criminal infiltration.” Represented by ACG Muktar Lawal, he reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to fully supporting the initiative, noting that it aligns with the federal government’s renewed focus on resource protection.

The Commander of the Mining Marshals Corps, John Onoja Attah, said the UNODC’s involvement affirms the government’s determination to sanitise the mineral sector. He pledged that his officers would continue to uphold the Corps’ founding principles of discipline, diligence, and proactive enforcement.

Stakeholders also emphasised that the increasing sophistication of illegal mining networks requires enhanced technical knowledge and modern investigative tools. The UNODC programme is therefore expected to equip Mining Marshals with advanced skills in intelligence gathering, data analysis, and financial tracking to trace the money trails that fuel illicit mining operations.

In addition, the workshop will provide a platform for participants to review and harmonise strategies for field operations, community engagement, and rapid response. This is aimed at ensuring that intelligence gathered at the grassroots level seamlessly supports enforcement actions and disrupts criminal groups operating within mining corridors.

With illegal mining driving revenue losses, insecurity, environmental damage, and criminal financing, the UNODC and NSCDC partnership represents a major step toward strengthening Nigeria’s ability to safeguard its mineral wealth and dismantle the illicit economies surrounding it. The workshop is expected to set a new benchmark for coordinated and intelligence driven mineral resource protection nationwide.