The Nigerian Senate has passed the Nigeria Mines Rangers Service (Establishment) Bill, 2025, a legislation designed to combat illegal mining and enhance regulatory enforcement across the country’s mineral sector.
The bill’s passage followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Senator Ekong Samson, during plenary.
According to the document, the proposed Mines Rangers Service will operate as a dedicated enforcement agency responsible for protecting mining sites and ensuring adherence to national mining laws.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said the measure would significantly strengthen oversight and enforcement within the framework of 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.
Also lending support, Senator Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) emphasized the importance of the new agency in safeguarding mining operations nationwide.
“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.
He added that 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 deliberations and consideration in the Committee of the Whole, the bill successfully scaled its third reading, marking a key step toward establishing the new service.
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