By Palma Ileye
Minerals and Miners Center, MMC, have emphasized on the need for safety training at the mining communities accross Nigeria.
At the International Women’s Day on 8th of March 2024, the Director, MMC, Dr Comfort Asokoro – Ogaji featuring the Kogi Women Miners Welfare Association expressed shock and sadness at the risky manner the women miners seek means of livelihood stating that the need to feed and pay the meagre school fees have pushed rural women miners to the mining pits unprepared, unguarded and exposed to extortion and poor working conditions.
In her remark at the MMC’s initiative for women miner’s meeting held to mark the International Women’s Day with representatives from Nigeria, Tanzania, Mali, South Africa and other African countries, Asokoro called on women to support other women in the field by providing mentorship opportunities and most especially safety trainings at the grassroots adding that women form the majority workforce in many states in Nigeria and should get the attention required in policy formulation processes.
Amongst key recommendations discussed at the meeting, MMC was calling on countries in Africa to Make mining laws and economic policies gender-inclusive continuously.
The need to advance women’s social protection at the mine and home has also become very urgent. Emphasis was also placed on the need to account for gendered differences in occupational health and safety efforts at mine sites.
Capacity building is key to growth. African women are urged to build capacities in their areas of interest in the commodity value chain. Women in the sector should strive for the top through capacity building and change their mindsets to think growth and expansion in the commodity value chain and relevant extension services.
A key recommendation was that African women should collaborate and consider having corporate partnerships for solid minerals processing and export corporations being a capital intensive venture.
Looking in the Academia angle, Universities should collaborate with the MMC to create centres of excellence across the continent for innovations and capacity building.
The climax of the event was the presentation of a “Gold Saving Award” to the Kogi Women Miners Welfare Association Leader Mrs Janet Ahiaba for her service to humanity regarding the Kogi women miners and for depositing her car at the hospital for the women who survived the accident to get treated.
In her acceptance speech, Mrs Ahiaba expressed appreciation for the award and promised to do more.
The MMC Director in a speech called on well meaning Nigerians to work with the Kogi women miners to do more most especially at state and local government levels.
The Centre also released related images in commemoration of International Women’s Day (March 8, 2024) to sensitize off takers of mineral ores on the need to ensure responsible mineral sourcing practices in rural and urban areas in Nigeria.
