Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) promises to support "legal mining" of natural resources if elected president in 2023.
On Tuesday, Tinubu spoke at the APC presidential rally at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna State.
Several well-known politicians attended the event, including Kashim Shettima, the APC's vice presidential candidate; Abdullahi Adamu, the party's national chairman, and Nasir el-Rufai, the governor of Kaduna.
Other governors present included Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, and Simon Lalong of Plateau.
According to the former governor of Lagos, his industrial policy will revive the nation's struggling manufacturing sector.
As part of his campaign platform, Tinubu promised to expand trade and transportation along the Abuja-Kaduna and Zaria-Kano routes.
“Our industrial policy will make industries work again. Meanwhile, we shall give the youth the training, access and policy support to explore new economic frontiers in the digital economy and other uses of technology to create new goods and services that benefit the entire population,” Tinubu was reported as saying by his media adviser, Tunde Rahman.
“Our infrastructural policy will promote nationwide road and rail transport, enabling small businesses to easily transport their goods across state lines and engage in productive trade throughout the land.
“Federal roads, especially the Abuja-Kaduna, and Zaria-Kano roads, will be turned into productive and safe highways for travel and commerce.
“Bringing jobs and cheaper power for your homes and businesses, the AKK gas pipeline completion will be a top priority, helping to fuel the region’s economy literally.
“We shall bring order to the mining industry by discouraging illegal and dangerous mining and promoting legal mining to bring better jobs, economic prosperity and security to Kaduna.”
Meanwhile, the federal government has voiced concern over unlawful mining activities on multiple occasions, reaffirming its intent to pursue anyone who violates environmental rules.
It was discovered in an investigation that illegal mining in Osun contributes to poverty, river pollution, and the devastation of sacred groves.
To curb the escalating instability across the country, the federal government revealed in July 2022 its plans for a statewide ban on commercial motorbikes, often known as okada, and mining activities.