Sustainable utilization of mineral resources in sub-Saharan Africa: A comparative appraisal of the mining regime in Nigeria

To underscore its commitment to the development of its solid minerals, the then Federal (Military) Government of Nigeria promulgated the Minerals and Mining Act in 1999 as a Decree of the military government. The prime target of the law is achieving environmentally friendly and socially sustainable exploitation of mineral resources of the country.;This thesis generally attempts a comparative and critical appraisal of the relevant provisions of the Act to ascertain the extent to which it could make the minerals sector both economically viable and environmentally sustainable in Nigeria. For this research objective, the thesis adopts a comparative approach to critical evaluation of the country's solid minerals regime using South Africa and Ghana's minerals regimes as case studies.;While comparative studies of the two countries amplify the shortcomings in the Nigerian mining regime, the thesis also makes specific discoveries on inadequacies of the Act on crucial mining sustainability imperatives. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...