Do Africans Know the Worth of their Minerals?

Precious Minerals. Image generated by a.i

The conversation often surfaces on how foreign powers are exploiting Africa's most valuable natural resources at little or next to nothing. The question thus arises as to whether African nations truly understand the worth of their earth resources. There are complex reasons why Africa's minerals are often under-priced. One fundamental reason is the lack of technology. When foreign companies come to Africa with technologies that Africans do not possess, the bargaining power tips in favour of the companies. An African leader desperate for funds to run his country may succumb to unfavourable deals despite knowing they unfairly favour the foreign company. Sometimes, proceeds are shared in a ratio of 6:3 in favour of the foreign company. Take the case of Orano SA, a French company that mines uranium in the Arlit region of northern Niger. Orano holds a 63.4% stake, while Sopamin, the Nigerien state-owned company, holds a mere 36.6% of Somair Mines. What's even more striking is that the lion's share is held by a company owned by a few individuals.

In some cases, a country's colonial history gives undue advantage to certain companies. France is a typical example of a colonial power that maintains a predatory relationship with its former colonies. Currently, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all former French colonies, are fighting to correct unfair economic alliances with the European nation. The case of Nigeria is a nation blinded by oil revenues. Before the discovery of oil, Nigeria's economy was largely agro-based, relying on cash crops for revenue. The nation also depended on solid minerals for extra income. Following the discovery of oil, the Nigerian authorities failed to recognize that significant revenue can come from a combination of numerous smaller sources rather than a single giant source. The metallic mineral industry highlights the Nigerian government's contempt for non-oil industries. The authorities have failed to demonstrate a sincere willingness to reform the solid minerals industry for maximum benefit. One of the negative outcomes is the invasion of the industry by illegal miners, many of whom are foreigners who make large haulages daily.

The issue is complicated by the Exclusive Legislative List, under which earth resources fall in Nigerian law. This ensures that the prerogative to regulate activities in the industry remains in the hands of the Federal Government in Abuja. However, since the federal authorities are more concerned about oil revenues, the sector suffers. Despite the creation of an agency like NEITI (Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative), solid minerals-producing states still suffer from a lack of funds that would be expected given the scale of mining activities in the states.

In December 2022, the Federal Government announced it had given N625 billion as derivation funds to the nine oil-producing states in Nigeria. This amounts to an average of approximately N70 billion per state per year. On the other hand, only Nasarawa State is fortunate enough to receive around N1 billion per month. In September 2024, Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State complained that the state only receives about N500 million as annual derivation revenue despite the billions generated from mining activities in the state.

Solid minerals-producing states are embittered by the unfair circumstances in which they find themselves. Some have developed mining policies that take advantage of loopholes in the Nigerian Mining Laws. The aim is to ensure they don't lose everything. These policies allow them to charge companies certain fees for registration, inspection, haulages, etc. When setting the charges, however, they are cautious to ensure that local companies are not discouraged. Total charges per annum in most states may not exceed N700,000 per annum, which is the same amount foreign companies pay. Upon hearing this, an alarmed foreign investor exclaimed, "That's just about three hundred pounds! Don't you value your minerals?" Thus, about £300 is what a Chinese company pays to a solid mineral-producing state to operate for one year, while earning hundreds of millions of pounds.

The Legacies of Late President Buhari

Late Former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari

It’s illogical when people say we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead. This notion doesn’t hold, because it’s not we who are speaking—rather, it’s the way the deceased lived their lives that speaks. We are merely the loudspeakers.

Some may view it from a religious perspective. Even so, the argument remains illogical since religion is founded on truth. If someone lived in defiance of God's teachings, they would still face judgment, regardless of public sentiment. So, what we say can stand even before God —as long as what we say is true.

The late President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure as a military Head of State was short-lived, ending in a coup barely a year after he came into power. Yet, in that brief time, he managed to convince many Nigerians that he was the one who could truly confront Nigeria’s most feared enemy: corruption.

Before returning to power as a civilian president, Buhari consistently spoke of funds looted and stashed abroad by corrupt Nigerians—money he claimed could solve Nigeria’s infrastructural problems. He expressed a desire to recover these funds and use them for the common good. Nigerians began to see him as a messiah. When critics accused him of being a tribalist and religious chauvinist, many dismissed those warnings as baseless opposition from individuals benefiting from the country’s disarray.

Buhari contested the presidency three times without success. After his third failed attempt in 2011, his supporters unleashed violence in the northern part of the country, killing hundreds—mostly Christians—who were seen as obstacles to his ambition. This showed the level of devotion he commanded, almost elevating him to the status of a prophet. Earlier, he had ominously warned that if he lost, there would be “bloody dogs and bloody monkeys.” As the 2015 election approached, he repeated that threat. In contrast, then-incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan declared, “No ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian.”

When the 2015 election results were announced, Buhari was declared the winner. President Jonathan conceded defeat—a rare and commendable act in Nigerian, and indeed African, politics, where incumbents rarely lose elections. Jonathan acted as a statesman to prevent a repeat of the 2011 violence.

Buhari’s early days in office seemed to fulfilled public expectations. But within two years, the trajectory began to change. His anti-corruption drive became confusing—a case of “the more you see, the less you understand.” His spokesperson often said the damage done to Nigeria was deep-rooted and would take time to fix. Eventually, however, Buhari’s government itself became brazenly corrupt.

A glaring example was during the COVID-19 lockdown, when the government claimed to have spent billions of naira on school feeding programs  —despite schools being closed. Nigerians asked, “Who were you feeding? Ghosts?” Not a single major conviction for corruption occurred. Instead, Buhari’s government released people previously jailed for corruption.

Under his leadership, inflation rose by 175%. By the end of his second term in 2023 Nigeria, once Africa’s largest economy, slipped to fourth place—behind South Africa, Egypt, and Algeria.

Security deteriorated further. What was termed the “farmer-herder conflict” masked widespread violence, where armed groups invaded villages, killing hundreds and seizing ancestral lands. There were no convictions. Banditry in the northwest worsened. Armed gangs on motorbikes would attack towns, kill residents, steal livestock and grains, or abduct people for ransom.

As the country's woes multiplied, Buhari lost the support of the very people who had once gone to great lengths to defend and idolize him.

On May 29, President Buhari handed over power to Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s newly elected president.

On Sunday, July 13th, 2025, former President Buhari died in a London hospital. Critics were baffled: How could he fail to build a decent hospital in Nigeria, only to die in a foreign one that still couldn’t save him? To many, this was final proof that Buhari had never truly meant well for Nigeria. Most shocking of all were the crowds in northern Nigeria that flooded the streets —not to mourn, but to thank God for his death

 

Beyond the Plateau Climate Assembly

Picture source: seaart.ai

The Plateau State Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Mineral Development hosted the Plateau Climate Assembly. It was a gathering of Plateau people from across the country to study the Plateau State policy on the climate agenda, a policy document that is praised for being the only one of its kind across Africa. There was the need to study the document to identify possible loopholes that would need to be sealed before it is passed into law.  That was the aim of the assembly.

 

For many, it is something that aims to re-energize the pride they have always had for Plateau State. Plateau State built for itself the reputation of being a forerunner throughout the forty-nine years of its history. We see this in its iconic schools, its role in the development of the media in northern Nigeria, its role in its contribution to sports development in Nigeria, not forgetting its vibrant urban culture that others wished they had.  

 

So, how did Plateau end up with a document that is the onliest across Africa? It surely comes from the calibre of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Mineral Development, Peter Kanang Gwom. He is a man who understands that politics is a power struggle, but that power is a means to an end, rather than the end itself. He is known to be restless when there is inactivity in the ministry, contrary to what is obtainable in other places, where people are paid and expected to be thankful for not doing anything, while they get paid.  

 

The desire to get things done saw Honourable Gwom travelling around the world, attending meetings with hues of environmental discussion. These global interactions and connections surely paved the way for the idea of the Plateau Policy on Climate Change, something that is sure to radiate across the country and Africa at large.

 

When the Plateau Policy on Climate Change is eventually passed into law, the action of plugging into the fight against climate change and mitigating its impact is expected to begin.

 

Across Nigeria, the World Bank is currently training people on social and environmental standards. This is a training that had been conducted in the past, but the World Bank is repeating it because it observes that Nigerians are not ploughing into the global climate efforts. Thus, passing the Plateau policy document into law is only the first hurdle.

 

What has been responsible for the inability of Nigerians to join the war against climate change, despite the agonizing experience of the impact of climate change? We have seen it in the desperation of herders trying to find fresh grazing lands, having been driven by desertification in the north of the country. We have seen it in alien crop diseases and irregular rainfall patterns that are frustrating agricultural yields. We have seen it in the floods that buried our towns and cities in the past couple of years. Thus, it is shocking why Nigerians continue to dawdle over the climate issue.

 

Educated people blame the uneducated for not believing the reality of climate change. It is a case of the kettle describing the pot as grimy. It is the duty of the educated to enlighten the uneducated to believe the reality of climate change, even if it means doing so in their native languages –not having formal education is not an implication of dysfunctional mental faculties.

 

The onus rests solely on us, the educated. The educated demography in the private domain must support the government to shape policies that accelerate our efforts towards mitigating the impact of climate change. The educated private sector must support government efforts to end cutting down trees for firewood and charcoal, activities that exacerbate the damage to our environment. The private sector must support governments in the area of setting up environmetal grant makers in the country to encourage innovators working to bring green alternatives that replace technologies that impair our environment.

 

While nations are setting dates for bidding farewell to the use of fossil fuels, governments across the country request support to not just key in but also find alternative sources of income when the transition is finally actualized. Geological explorations must aim to find safer mineral alternatives, which will be exploited and used responsibly.

 

We are already late on the climate issue.

We Are Often Cut Out of the Ahmed Musa Story

Ahmed Musa. Source: Inside J-Town Magazine

No one falls from the sky. There is no heaven without the earth. Every individual has a beginning. It may be a humble beginning, but it is always there. It shocks me that our town of Bukuru and Aminci Football Club are often missing in the Musa story.

Ahmed Musa was born and raised in Bukuru, Jos South of Plateau State. He played for Aminci Football Club, a club that metamorphosed into a football academy. In addition to developing young players, the club also serves Europe-based players wishing to stay fit during the off-season. It also serves players who couldn't secure new contracts with their teams but want to remain fit while struggling to find new clubs.  

Aminci practised at the St Peter Primary School’s pitch in Bukuru, nestled by the police ‘B’ Division and the railway station. He sometimes played at the Bukuru Mini Stadium (nearly every star from Jos played at the Bukuru mini stadium at one point or the other).

In 2007, I started the magazine, Inside J-Town (which evolved to this very publication). In the magazine’s design, I created a column to feature young footballers who are good enough to play at the professional level but who haven’t found a club yet. That was how coach Akwash introduced me to Ahmed Musa. He told me that Musa’s strengths were in speed and good ball control. It was how I met with the young player who told me that his ultimate ambition was to play for Arsenal of England, as it was his favourite club, but that he was ready to play for any club that came his way at the time. 

I moved on with my affair but later learned, in 2010, of a player from Bukuru, specifically, who played for Kano Pillars at the time and had broken a record for the highest goals ever scored in the Nigerian Professional League, since Ishaya Jatau 1990’s record. I never knew it was the boy from my town because, at the time he granted me an interview, he referred to himself as Ahmadu Musa. But I longed to see if the guy was a familiar face since he came from my town. I waited until the friendly match between Nigeria and Argentina when he was to be introduced as a substitute. Lo and behold, it was the boy I interviewed while he was still in the amateur category. It made me realize that what I was doing was more important than I thought.

So, it pains us when his story is told and the humble beginning is brushed aside. The problem is complicated by coach Bros who runs the Golden Boot Soccer Academy. He is not educated and, hence, refuses to trust educated people around him. These are the people who will ensure whatever he does is properly documented

Nigeria, Ghana and the Music Conflict

Recently, Davido, the Nigerian Afrobeats superstar, rewarded a Ghanaian fan, Ananzo, who was seen miming a song from Davido’s latest album 5ive, with $5000. The incident brought to mind the acumen of music superstars, whether from Nigeria or Ghana.

The gift is a show of intelligence because it plays down the feud between ordinary Ghanaians and Nigerians regarding which of the West African nations is musically superior. While this feud lasts, I have watched closely the opinions of the artists regarding the matter. Despite the fussing and fighting at the bottom, you never hear an artist, be they Burner Boy, Davido or Stoneboy, joining the argument –they stay mature. Instead, one hears them talking good of the nations. Burner Boy once said, “When I want quiet time, I prefer to go to Ghana because they have many such places.” But even Davido's gift of $5000 to Ananzo is just another demonstration of wisdom that should be seen from celebrities.  

At the peak of the international feud, some Ghanaian “influencers” did just the contrary, telling Ghanaian music fans that it amounts to stupidity for any Ghanaian fan to support Nigerian music when Nigerians aren’t supporting their own music. Their counterparts on the Nigerian side responded with a barrage of insults.

While the Nigerian response is condemnable, there is also the need to inform their Ghanaian counterparts on how music success works. At the level of nations, music success works like a relay race. Every country has its turn. At some point, it was the South Africans. At another, it was the Congolese. Now, it is the turn of the Nigerians. A Ghanaian turn will surely come.

I always ask Ghanaians whether their music receives rave reviews in every nation except Nigeria. If Ghanaian music is currently making waves around the world, except in Nigeria, then the Nigerians are truly acting in a way that can be considered malicious. If that is not the case, then those Ghanaians need to have a rethink.

The current Ghanaian President, John Mahama, once talked of how he stayed with his step-mum in Ofa, Nigeria, for a few years while fleeing political persecution from his country and how he has come to consider Nigeria his second home. Just imagine what goes through the mind of the President when he hears common people going for each other’s jugular over issues of superiority.  

While receiving former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at the White House, the American President, George Bush, referred to Britain as the only country that is truly America’s friend. After hearing this, I started searching to see which country is truly Nigeria’s friend. There is none other than Ghana.

Biodiversity Conservation Initiatives in Nigeria: National, Indigenous, and Private Efforts

 Group Discussion

Led and Presented by Dalong Hassan Ishaku

Nigeria is rich in biodiversity, hosting diverse ecosystems such as rainforests, mangroves, savannahs, and wetlands. Conservation efforts occur at national, state, local government (e.g., Qua’an Pan LGA), and community levels, with protected areas like Pandam Game Reserve playing a key role. Below is a structured outline with examples.

1. National (Federal Government) Initiatives

The Nigerian government implements policies, laws, and protected area management for biodiversity conservation.

Examples:

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)

Aligns with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to protect endangered species (e.g., Cross River gorilla, African elephant) and restore degraded lands.Wildlife Protection Laws

 

Endangered Species (Control of International Trade & Traffic) Act (2016) – Bans illegal wildlife trade

 

National Park Service Act – Manages Nigeria’s 8 national parks, including Gashaka Gumti and Old Oyo National Park

 

Afforestation & Climate Initiatives

Great Green Wall Programme – Combats desertification in Northern Nigeria (e.g., Kano, Bauchi, and Plateau States).

National Forest Policy – Promotes sustainable forest management.

2. State-Level Conservation Efforts

Different Nigerian states have unique biodiversity hotspots and conservation programs.

Examples:

a. Plateau State (Including Qua’an Pan LGA & Pandam Game Reserve)

Pandam Game Reserve

A state-protected area covering 224 km² in Qua’an Pan LGA, home to hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, and migratory birds.

Threats: Encroachment, illegal fishing, and weak enforcement.

Conservation Efforts:

Plateau State Government occasionally deploys rangers for patrols.

NGO partnerships (e.g., Wildlife Conservation Society, WCS) for species monitoring

b. Cross River State

Cross River National Park – Protects rainforest biodiversity (e.g., Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee).

Community Forest Management (e.g., Ekuri Initiative)

c. Lagos State

Lekki Conservation Centre (Managed by Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF) – Protects wetlands and wildlife

3. Indigenous & Community-Led Conservation

Local communities, especially in rural areas, use traditional knowledge for conservation.

Examples in Qua’an Pan & Pandam:

Traditional Hunting Bans – Some communities impose seasonal bans to protect wildlife.

Sacred Sites – Certain forests or water bodies are preserved for cultural reasons.

Community Patrols – Local volunteers sometimes monitor Pandam Lake against illegal fishing.

Other Indigenous Examples:

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove (Osun State) – A UNESCO site preserved by the Yoruba people.

Afi Mountain (Cross River) – Local communities protect drill monkeys.

4. Private Sector & NGO-Led Initiatives

Private organizations and NGOs support conservation through funding, research, and advocacy.

Examples in Plateau State & Pandam:

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) – Conducts biodiversity surveys in Pandam.

Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) – Advocates for better protection of Pandam.

Ecotourism Ventures – Some private lodges near Pandam promote wildlife tourism.

Other Private Efforts in Nigeria:

Shell’s Niger Delta Mangrove Restoration – Replants degraded mangroves.

Dangote Afforestation Projects – Tree planting in Northern Nigeria.

Conclusion & Challenges in Pandam Game Reserve

Strengths: Rich biodiversity, community involvement, NGO interest.

Weaknesses: Poor funding, weak enforcement, encroachment.

Recommendations:

Increased government funding for rangers and equipment

Eco-tourism development to generate conservation revenue

Stronger community partnerships for sustainable hunting/fishing rules

 

How Organ Harvest Overturns Kuru Community

Picture source: Family of victims

I walked into the street of Dankarang in Kuru, Jos South, cautious, almost tiptoeing –journalists have the oxymoronic personality of being hated and admired simultaneously. There is often the question of why you are requesting this information and whether or not you are an impersonator. Sometimes, they believe you are who you say you are but remember something another journalist wrote that worked against them in a way they find difficult to forgive, leading to the transfer of hostility.

I was in Dankarang to confirm the credibility of an alleged story of one Davou Boyi who set the community on fire by abducting toddlers, poisoning them and harvesting parts of their bodies.

The three kids had gone to St. Ambrose Kibuka Catholic Church, Dankarang on Sunday 20th April. Only one was found alive, two days after they had vanished. When the news spread, the parents were informed of a clairvoyant Fulani man. The Fulani man was contacted. He gave his conditions, after which he lived up to his promise by confirming the kids were still within the community and that the community should ensure no comes into the community or leaves while a house-to-house search is conducted. He promised that the culprit would turn himself in. Lo and behold, Mr Boyi approached neighbours, saying, “I have seen some kids in one of my cars and I am not aware of how they got in.”

According to my informant, three plates of meals were allegedly discovered after a search of Mr Boyi’s house. Two of the meals had been eaten while one was untouched, confirming that he was the culprit behind the horrendous incident –two of the three kids had died while one was still alive.  

The enraged community took laws into their hands, setting Boyi’s three-bedroom apartment ablaze and burning four cars that were parked on the terrace of the house. But the worst was the killing of his sister, Mrs. Laraba Gyang, who the villagers claimed was not only unmoved by the horrific act of her brother but arrogantly defended him. She was killed in front of Dankarang Police Station and burnt with a tire. 

The people of Dankarang never trusted Mr Boyi, a man who gallops as he walks because of his bad legs. It is alleged that there used to be a guy who washed his car. The guy is said to have suddenly vanished one day and was never seen again and a lot of people believe that Boyi has something to do with it. 

Despite the cloudy atmosphere around his reputation, Boyi is known to give loans to people and some of the cars that were burnt in front of his house were securities for loans he has given. It is alleged that, during the search of his house, there were about a dozen refrigerators he had also accepted as securities for loans he had issued.   

Dankarang is a Berom community. Mr. Boyi, a former teacher, is also a Berom man, albeit from another community. The incident, particularly the unaliving of his innocent sister, has strained matters among, not just between Dankarang and Vwang (the Berom ward from which Boyi comes) but the Berom tribe as a whole.

The inability of the Dankarang people to restrain their emotions has led to the killing of an innocent person in a manner that is more horrific than the crime that provoked them.