The Nigerian Senate has passed the Nigeria Mines Rangers Service Establishment Bill 2025, a move aimed at tackling illegal mining and strengthening oversight across the nation’s mining sector.
The bill’s passage followed a presentation by Ekong Samson, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development. If implemented, the Mines Rangers Service will operate as a specialised enforcement agency tasked with securing mining sites and ensuring compliance with national mining laws.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed confidence that the bill would enhance regulation 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 said.
Supporting the bill, lawmakers including Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) highlighted the critical role of the proposed service in protecting 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.”
Following legislative scrutiny in the Committee of the Whole, the bill successfully passed its third reading, moving closer to becoming law.
