Nigeria, Nov. 30 -- When the Senate passed the Nigeria Mines Rangers Service (Establishment) Bill on 21 October, it marked one of the boldest attempts yet to confront the country's sprawling illegal mining economy.

Lawmakers said the establishment of the new service, if eventually approved by President Bola Tinubu, will become a specialised security outfit stationed directly at mining sites to enforce compliance and protect one of Nigeria's most neglected but promising sectors.

The bill, presented by the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Ekong Sampson, seeks to establish the Nigeria Mines Rangers Service (NMRS) as an enforcement body with a nationwide footprint.

Under the legislation, the Rangers will o...