Senate passes Bill establishing Nigeria Mines Rangers Service to curb illegal mining

The Senate has approved the Nigeria Mines Rangers Service Establishment Bill, 2025, designed to combat illegal mining activities and strengthen oversight within the country’s mining sector.

The bill’s passage followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Ekong Samson.

The proposed Mines Rangers Service will operate as a specialised enforcement agency responsible for safeguarding mining sites and ensuring strict adherence to Nigeria’s mining laws.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the initiative would enhance regulation and enforcement under the existing Mining Act.

“This is a timely intervention that will strengthen our regulatory framework and ensure that Nigeria’s mineral resources are properly managed,” Akpabio stated.

Supporting the bill, Senator Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) highlighted the importance of the Mines Rangers Service in securing mining operations across the country.

“If established, the Rangers Service will be physically present at mining sites nationwide. They will serve as the eyes on the ground to monitor the extraction of our national resources,” Maidoki said.

He added that with major mining investors now active in Nigeria, there is an urgent need to protect investments and ensure that the country benefits fully from its mineral wealth.

Following deliberations in the Committee of the Whole, the bill successfully scaled its third reading and was passed by the Senate.