The Kwara State government has advanced reason for its commitment to revive mining sector in the state, saying it was part of its initiative to diversify sources of internally generated revenue.

The government also said the current effort was to facilitate the provision of socio-economic development across the state.

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Solid Minerals, Mr Shehu Abdulrahman, stated this when he visited the palaces of Emir of Lafiagi, Alhaji Saadu Kawu Haliru and Etsu of Tsaragi, Alhaji Aliyu Ndakpoto as part of ongoing campaign to formally register informal miners.

To this end, the governor’s aide announced that the state chief executive had directed his office to carry out the enumeration of all informal miners otherwise known as illegal miners in all parts of the state.

The move was to also identify places where informal mining activities take place in order to engender transparency into their operations.

Abdulrahman added that the initiative was also informed to cluster the informal miners into cooperative groups to enable them obtain mining permits at the Nigerian Mining Cadre Office in Abuja among other government interventions.

He said the exercise would practically legalise the activities of the miners and create avenues for government assistance, especially in the area of infrastructure.

The Senior Special Assistant also assured that assistance would be given to them in terms of provision of mining equipment to increase their outputs, maintaining that such activity would engender creation of employment and empowerment opportunities, efficient revenue collection as well as general growth and development for the state and host communities in particular.

Responding, the Emir of Lafiagi promised to support government's effort, saying the exercise if properly organised, would benefit all and sundry. The monarch, however, expressed dismay over investors not taking all the necessary steps before mining in his domain.

He appealed to the state government to construct the road linking Zamgbufu and Oke-Ode to facilitate mining operations in the area.

His Tsaragi counterpart, Ndakpoto also assured the investors that the proposed mining sites in his area would be allocated to them. Enumeration of miners was later conducted at Gidan in Tsaragi and Patikesan Ndeji and Bishewa both in Lafiagi.