The Federal Government of Nigeria is set to repeal law banning women from mining. This was revealed in volume 2 of the National Development Plan 2021-2025.
The Section 56 of the Labour Law titled ‘Underground work’, states, “Subject to subsection (2) of this section, no woman shall be employed on underground work in any mine.” However, there were some exceptions, which include women holding positions of management who do not perform manual labour; women employed in health and welfare services; women who in the course of their studies spend a period of training in underground parts of a mine; or any other women who may occasionally have to enter the underground parts of a mine for the purposes of a non-manual occupation.
Gender-inclusive minerals sector
The aim of the government is to promote a sustainable and gender-inclusive minerals sector, ensuring that more women participate in the mining sector. The government plans to not only “repeal section 56 of the Labour Law that prohibits women from working in mines” but to also “increase the share of females in different streams of the mining sector through training and recruitment.”
In the NDP, it was stated in a tabular illustration that the share of women in the mining labour force is 25-35 per cent, and the government plans to move it to 50 per cent by 2025. The government also plans to establish a women’s fund to support women’s development in the mining industry.
Additionally, the Federal Government planned to increase the mineral sector’s contribution to the economy by growing revenue generated from mining to N9.28bn by 2025, increasing revenue generated by the sector by 308 per cent in four years.
