Mining Marshals and the Fight for Nigeria’s Mineral Future

By Zekeri Idakwo Laruba

When Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, met with the leadership of Japan’s Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) at the TICAD summit in Yokohama, it wasn’t just another diplomatic courtesy—it was a strategic pitch. Japan, like other global powers, is scanning the globe for mineral-rich nations to fuel the energy transition. Nigeria, with its vast deposits of lithium, gold, cobalt, tantalite, and rare earths, is a tantalizing prospect.

But beneath the surface lies a persistent question: Can Nigeria guarantee the safety, transparency, and stability that investors demand?

For decades, Nigeria’s mining sector has been a graveyard of broken promises. Foreign companies have pulled out after facing hostile communities, rampant illegal mining backed by armed syndicates, and a fragmented regulatory environment. In some states, criminal gangs and local warlords have turned mining fields into extortion zones, taxing illegal operators while sabotaging legitimate ventures. Despite mineral reserves estimated at $700 billion, the sector contributes less than 1% to GDP. That’s not just a missed opportunity—it’s a national failure.

Enter the Mining Marshals.

In a bold move, President Bola Tinubu’s administration, through the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) led by Commandant-General Dr. Ahmed Audi, launched this specialized unit to confront the nexus between illegal mining and insecurity. Intelligence reports had long linked mineral theft to violence in Zamfara, Nasarawa, Plateau, and other hotspots. The Mining Marshals are not just a security outfit—they are a strategic intervention in Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

At the forefront is Atah John Onoja, the Mining Marshal, whose leadership blends tactical precision with community engagement. When I met him, I saw a man driven by patriotism, not perks. His approach is refreshingly holistic: rather than relying solely on brute force, Onoja has built alliances—with the Police, Army, DSS, and local vigilantes—to secure fragile mining corridors. More importantly, he has earned the trust of traditional rulers, community leaders, and local governments, ensuring that security efforts reinforce, not rupture, local relationships.

This fusion of force and diplomacy is already bearing fruit. In Nasarawa State, a joint operation between the Marshals and Police dismantled a cartel smuggling lithium through covert routes. These victories may not dominate headlines, but they are quietly rewriting the story of Nigeria’s mining sector.

And the world is watching.

Foreign investors are no longer satisfied with geological surveys and reserve estimates. They want assurance that mining assets can move from site to port without ambush, that community agreements won’t be undone by violence, and that government agencies won’t issue contradictory directives. These are the fault lines where Nigeria has stumbled—and where the Mining Marshals, guided by Dr. Audi’s foresight and Dr. Alake’s policy clarity, can make a decisive impact.

President Tinubu deserves credit for using global platforms like TICAD to market Nigeria’s mineral potential. But international diplomacy must be matched by domestic security. No investor will risk billions on drilling rigs and processing plants if they fear armed gangs will overrun their operations. That’s why the Mining Marshals’ collaboration with the Armed Forces, Police, and DSS must be institutionalized—not improvised. The fight against illegal mining must be treated with the same urgency as counter-terrorism, because the two are deeply intertwined.

Investors aren’t asking for perfection. They’re asking for predictability.

If Onoja and his team can deepen inter-agency cooperation, if the NSCDC maintains its professionalism and accountability, and if the Ministry of Solid Minerals continues to provide clear and consistent policy direction, Nigeria may finally escape the cycle of squandered mining opportunities.

So, can investors sleep soundly with the Mining Marshals on guard? Not yet. But perhaps they can begin to close one eye. For the first time in years, Nigeria is crafting a framework that aligns global diplomacy with local security innovation. If sustained, it could unlock not just Japanese investment—but a new era in which Nigeria’s mineral wealth becomes the engine of its economic revival.

Zekeri Idakwo Laruba is the Assistant Editor Econfomic. [email protected]