THE IMPERATIVE OF INTEGRATED MINERAL AND OIL RESOURCES EXTRACTION AND MANAGEMENT POLICY FOR SUSTAINABLE PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Organised mining and extraction of mineral resources began in 1903 in the Northern Protectorates and in 1904 in the Southern Protectorates of modern Nigeria with the establishment of Mineral Survey of the Northern Protectorates and the Mineral Survey of Southern Protectorates respectively, by the British colonial government. Over a century later, extraction of mineral resources in the country is still highly underdeveloped. There are great conflicts that surround oil extraction in the Niger Delta region, and Nigeria imports solid minerals which she is capable of producing domestically. The extraction of solid minerals and oil resources also calls into question issues of environmental neglect in the country. This paper provides for a descriptive analysis of Nigeria's mineral and oil resources extraction and management policy since the colonial period. It is observed that public policies in the sector have been interventionist, marginal, disjointed and elitist, and, have not properly included issues of sustainability for peace and development. Key recommendations of the paper are that public policy in the mineral and oil sector should seek to include more stringent regulations in relation to the environment, ensure equity in rent or royalty distribution especially to the host communities and develop the extraction of solid minerals with which the country is abundantly blessed.