On October 30, the Government House Banquet Hall in Damaturu hosted one of the most consequential policy gatherings in Yobe State in recent years.
Leaders from government ministries, federal regulatory agencies, traditional institutions, mining associations, private investors, academic experts, and community representatives came together for a single purpose: to reshape the future of mining in the state and lay the foundation for a sustainable, community-centered, and data-driven mineral economy.
The Stakeholders’ Engagement Forum on Mining Development in Yobe State, organised by the Yobe Mining Development Company Limited (YMDCL) with technical facilitation from Geo-Concern Nigeria, marked a significant moment in the state’s economic strategy.
For decades, many of Yobe’s mineral resources, gypsum, limestone, kaolin, trona, diatomite, silica sand, granite, and documented traces of metallic minerals, remained dormant, overshadowed by the state’s more prominent agricultural profile.
This forum signalled a deliberate shift, both in tone and in strategy: Yobe was ready not just to acknowledge its mineral wealth, but to build a structured, responsible, investor-friendly, and community-inclusive mining sector anchored on institutional reforms.
Delivering his keynote address at the event, Governor Mai Mala Buni described the forum as “a decisive step in our collective effort to reposition Yobe as a frontier of sustainable mineral development.”
He emphasised that mining is no longer an abstract economic potential; it is an opportunity capable of fundamentally transforming the state’s industrial base, youth employment landscape, and revenue outlook if properly harnessed.
Buni’s message underscored an emerging economic philosophy within his administration: one centered on diversification, institutional rebuilding, and long-term planning.
While acknowledging the state’s rich endowment of industrial minerals, he noted that these resources had remained largely underutilized due to fragmented coordination, limited geological data, and lack of investor confidence.
With the establishment of the Yobe Mining Development Company Limited, however, his administration intends to reverse this trend.
The governor reiterated that YMDCL is now the sole authorised state agency responsible for all exploration and mining matters, a one-stop shop designed to streamline processes, support investors, coordinate geoscientific information, and link state interests with federal regulatory frameworks.
Throughout his keynote, the governor stressed that responsible mining must be built on pillars of environmental sustainability, community inclusion, transparent regulation, and adherence to federal laws governing mineral ownership and mining titles.
He highlighted the need for policy coherence with institutions like the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).
For Buni, the mining sector’s viability depends not only on geological potential but also on peace, security, and the trust of host communities. His administration, he said, is prepared to collaborate fully with federal regulators, private investors, traditional rulers, and development partners to ensure that mining in Yobe becomes both profitable and socially responsible.
Kaigama Umar Yunusari, the commissioner for Commerce, Trade, Investment, Tourism, and Solid Minerals, reinforced this perspective in his welcome remarks. He described the forum as a major step in our collective resolve to transform Yobe’s abundant mineral endowments into drivers of sustainable economic growth.”
He pointed out that the state government, under Buni’s leadership, is building not just institutions but also a roadmap that spans exploration, feasibility, and meaningful partnerships.
The commissioner expressed optimism that the forum would cultivate the shared understanding necessary for a mining sector that benefits investors, communities, and the state in equal measure.
His tone was pragmatic, reminding the audience that the success of any mining policy lies not in fine speeches but in collective commitment and continuity of implementation.
This theme of partnership, between state government, communities, regulators, professionals, and investors, echoed throughout the forum. Perhaps no one articulated it more poignantly than Muhammad Abali Ibn Muhammadu Idrisa, CON, the Emir of Fika and chairman of the Yobe State Council of Traditional Rulers.
In his well-received paper, he explained that the mining sector’s sustainability depends on the human dimension as much as on the geological one.
Traditional rulers, he reminded participants, have historically served as custodians of land, culture, and social harmony. These roles remain essential in the context of modern mining.
Reflecting on centuries of community-based land governance systems, the Emir emphasised that local communities are not mere spectators to mining activities.
They are stakeholders whose cooperation and acceptance determine the success or failure of any project. Mining takes place on ancestral lands, farmlands, and grazing corridors.
For that reason, he argued, communities must be engaged from the earliest stages of exploration, not merely informed after decisions have been made.
According to him, traditional institutions remain indispensable in dispute resolution, cultural stewardship, public sensitization, and the long-term sustainability of mining operations.
The Emir also called for transparent and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, noting that when communities feel respected and included, mining operations enjoy stability and legitimacy. Conversely, exclusion or neglect often breeds conflict.
He proposed innovations such as community development charters and formal representation of traditional institutions in governance structures like MIREMCO to institutionalised community voices in mining decisions.
His remarks, steeped in historical context and cultural insight, strengthened the forum’s emphasis on inclusive development.
Technical experts also played a central role in shaping the discussions. A.S. Olatunji, former president of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), delivered a presentation on policy and institutional alignment, highlighting the constitutional framework that vests mineral ownership in the federal government and outlining how states like Yobe can still assert strategic influence within the law.
His analysis acknowledged the constitutional constraints but argued that states retain meaningful opportunities through creativity, institutional strengthening, and strategic collaboration with federal technocrats.
He praised YMDCL as an example of the kind of state-led institutional mechanism needed to navigate this complex regulatory landscape.
In his view, Yobe’s long-term success depends on building a world-class workforce, investing in continuous capacity development, and adopting modern communication strategies that tell the state’s mining story convincingly to potential investors.
Knowledge, he insisted, is a competitive advantage, and states that investing in data acquisition, geological mapping, and policy clarity stand a better chance of attracting serious mining interests.
Olusegun Omoniyi Ige, the Director-General of the NGSA, brought a national technical perspective to the conversation. Representing the agency responsible for geological mapping across the country, the professor commended Yobe for taking a proactive approach to mineral development.
He noted that credible geoscientific data remains the backbone of any serious exploration program, and that NGSA is committed to supporting Yobe in improving its geological and geochemical datasets.
He identified the state’s industrial minerals as a promising avenue for industrial growth, job creation, and diversification of revenue streams.
Rose Chundung Ndong, the President of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society, also addressed the forum, emphasising the need for evidence-based decisions and sustainable resource exploitation.
She described Yobe as a state with vast untapped potential and noted that responsible development requires strong partnerships between government, professionals, investors, and host communities.
Ndong reaffirmed NMGS’s willingness to provide technical advisory services, support capacity-building programs, and assist in developing the state’s mineral resource roadmap. Her message reinforced the forum’s overarching narrative: mining development must be grounded in science, professionalism, and community engagement.
An important component of the event was the technical session, which reviewed the findings of seven presentations covering the policy environment, geological data, environmental safeguards, community participation, security, and artisanal mining.
The technical experts agreed that Yobe possesses significant mineral wealth, much of it still unexplored or undocumented. They emphasised the need for detailed exploration led by professionally qualified personnel and stressed that large-scale mining in the state is still at its infancy.
The session underscored the necessity of aligning state strategies with federal laws, strengthening institutional roles, and ensuring regulatory compliance at all levels.
One of the most important outcomes of the technical session was a shared recognition that mining development must be accompanied by environmental and social safeguards.
Participants highlighted the need to protect Yobe’s natural heritage, to manage environmental impacts responsibly, and to ensure that mining contributes to sustainable development rather than ecological degradation.
They also emphasised that artisanal mining, while often carried out informally, can be regulated and integrated into the formal economy with the right support systems.
The forum identified formalisation, training, and access to technical guidance as key to transforming artisanal mining into a legal and productive part of the sector.
The communiqué issued at the end of the forum captured these themes concisely.
It acknowledged the forum as a positive step toward economic transformation and recommended that Yobe invest in data-driven exploration, human capital development, infrastructure, and investor engagement. It called for continuous community participation, strengthened institutional alignment with federal regulators, environmental stewardship, and the formalisation of artisanal miners.
The communiqué also noted that the state is at a “critical turning point” in its economic transformation agenda and urged that the opportunities being opened up be properly communicated and amplified.
What made the forum particularly significant was not just the diversity of voices but the convergence of perspectives.
Political leaders spoke about vision and institutional reforms; traditional rulers emphasised social legitimacy and community involvement; scientists insisted on data, technical accuracy, and regulatory clarity; investors sought policy certainty; and community representatives demanded fairness and transparency.
While each group spoke from its own vantage point, their messages intersected at several crucial points: the need for partnership, the importance of responsible mining, the centrality of communities, and the necessity of building strong institutions.
The event demonstrated that mineral development is not merely an economic activity but a multisectoral effort that requires government leadership, scientific expertise, community support, and private-sector investment.
Yobe’s leadership is under no illusion that the road ahead will be easy. Mining is a long-term venture that requires patience, capital, regulatory discipline, and environmental responsibility. But with institutions like YMDCL now charting the path, supported by federal agencies, traditional institutions, and professional bodies, the state has taken a decisive first step.
In the months and years to come, the real test will be whether the ideas discussed at the forum translate into sustained action: detailed geological exploration, investor-friendly reforms, community development agreements, environmental monitoring, and capacity-building programs for local miners and regulators.
If these are achieved, Yobe could emerge as a major hub for industrial minerals and a model for sustainable mining in Nigeria.
For now, the October 30 forum stands as a milestone, a day when Yobe State gathered its key actors to confront the challenges and opportunities beneath its soil and commit to building a mining sector that serves both present and future generations.
The forum did not mark the end of a process; it marked the beginning of a deliberate journey toward responsible resource development. And if the collective resolve demonstrated in Damaturu is sustained, that journey may well redefine Yobe’s economic landscape for decades to come.
