The Senate has passed the Nigeria mines Rangers Service establishment bill 2025, aimed at tackling illegal mining activities across the country as part of efforts to strengthen oversight in the mining sector.
The passage of the bill followed the presentation of the report by Chairman, Senate committee on Solid minerals development, Ekong Samson.
The proposed Mines Rangers Service will serve as a specialised enforcement agency tasked with securing mining sites and ensuring compliance with the nation’s mining laws.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, expressed the assurance that the bill would help improve 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,” he stated.
Supporting the bill, other lawmakers including Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South), underscored the critical role the Mines Rangers service would play in securing mining operations.
“If established, the Rangers service will be physically present at mining sites across the country. They will serve as the eyes on the ground to monitor the extraction of our national resources,” Maidoki said.
“With major mining investors now operating in Nigeria, there is an urgent need to provide adequate protection for investments and ensure the country benefits fully from its mineral wealth,”
After legislative consideration in the comittee of the whole, the bill scaled third reading.
