TheCable

Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says he will promote “legal mining” of natural resources, if elected president in 2023.

Tinubu spoke on Tuesday during the APC presidential rally at Ahmadu Bello stadium, Kaduna state.

The rally was attended by APC top leaders like Abdullahi Adamu, the party’s national chairman, Kashim Shettima, vice-presidential candidate, and Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna.

Other governors present at the rally were; Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, and Simon Lalong of Plateau.

Speaking on his action plan, the former Lagos governor said his industrial policy will make industries in the country work again.

Tinubu promised that his administration will turn the Abuja-Kaduna, Zaria-Kano roads to productive highways for travel and commerce.

“Our industrial policy will make industries work again. Meanwhile, we shall give the youth the training, access and policy support to explore new economic frontiers in the digital economy and other uses of technology to create new goods and services that benefit the entire population,” Tinubu was quoted as saying by Tunde Rahman, his media aide, in a statement.

“Our infrastructural policy will promote nationwide road and rail transport, enabling small businesses to easily transport their goods across state-lines and engage in productive trade throughout the land.

“Federal roads, especially the Abuja-Kaduna, Zaria-Kano roads, will be turned into productive and safe highways for travel and commerce.

“Bringing jobs and cheaper power for your homes and businesses, the AKK gas pipeline completion will be a top priority, helping to literally fuel the region’s economy.

“We shall bring order to the mining industry discouraging illegal and dangerous mining, and promoting legal mining to bring better jobs, economic prosperity and security to Kaduna.”

Meanwhile, on several occasions, the federal government had expressed worry over illegal mining activities in the country and reiterates its commitment to prosecute people who fail to comply with extant environmental laws.

TheCable’s investigation had found that illegal mining fuels poverty, river pollution, sacred grove desecration in Osun.

In July, 2022, the federal government announced its plans for a twin nationwide ban on commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada, as well as mining activities in a bid to stem the rising insecurity across the country.