FG Warns Manufacturers On Explosives

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has called on manufacturers of mine explosives to strengthen the security and logistics of their operations, aiming to fight alleged leakages from their factories.
Alake, during an emergency meeting with explosives manufacturers in Abuja, last Friday, expressed concern about the perceived role of manufacturers in facilitating unauthorised access to explosives and their indiscriminate storage across the country, leading to public outcry.
According to a statement signed by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori last Friday, Alake emphasized that “the government is currently reassessing the system for tracking the movement of explosives from manufacturers to end-users.”
Alake urged manufacturers to “conduct internal investigations and identify any employees involved in illicit sales or manufacturing of explosives.”
The meeting, attended by representatives from licensed manufacturers Solar Nigachem Limited, Intrachem Limited, and Dynatrac Limited, aimed to address these critical issues.
The Chief Executive Officer of Intrachem Limited and chairman of the Association of Commercial Explosives Dealers, Biodun Abu, spoke on behalf of the manufacturers.
He stated that the companies have complied with government regulations by implementing security surveillance measures, including deploying Closed Circuit Television in their factories and coding explosives for easy tracking.
Abu further explained that both manufacturers and clients obtain approvals for escorts to transport explosives to end-users.
He said, however, that they faced challenges in verifying potential leakages once the goods reach the clients.
The Director of the Mines Inspectorate Department in the Ministry of Solid Minerals, Imam Ganiyu, provided additional insights, noting that explosives manufactured in Nigeria are slurry-based and require detonators for activation.
Although dynamite used for mining operations was banned in Nigeria in 2007, Ganiyu highlighted concerns about neighbouring countries like Cameroon and Mali still using such explosives.
This raises the possibility of illegal entry into Nigeria through border crossings.
Various stakeholders attended the meeting, including Maureen Tiamiyu, A. Muibi, Recall Hegen Ali, representatives of Solar Nigachem Limited, Chidi Opara; representatives of Dynatrac Limited, Ohio Musa, while Engineer Yomi Aluko represents Intrachem Limited.
Others in attendance at the meeting are Babajide Alatise from Tuntise Investment Limited and Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister, Kehinde Bamigbetan.