Ijaw influencer and social media activist Ijaw Blood has raised concern over what many now see as a double standard in how black sand mining is handled in Niger Delta communities, questioning why young people who try to earn a living from the resource are treated as criminals while others profit freely from similar minerals.
In a widely shared statement, Ijaw Blood noted that many youths in the region see black sand as a natural resource within their own environment and attempt to make a living from selling it, only to be arrested and criminalised for doing so. She questioned what exact policy governs the resource, and called for Ijaw youths to be properly organised, licensed, trained and empowered to participate in the business legally, insisting that this is possible if black sand truly has commercial value with willing buyers.
According to her, there are accounts of people supplying similar minerals to buyers, including Chinese businesses, and earning significant income from the trade. She argued that if a legitimate market genuinely exists for these resources, Niger Delta communities should not be left to watch outsiders profit while their own youths face arrest for attempting to survive.
She was careful to clarify that her call is not for illegal mining or environmental destruction, stressing that the region's land and waterways must be protected. Rather, her appeal is for fairness, regulation and economic opportunity for local youths.
"If the government says the black sand belongs to the state or that its extraction requires a licence, then let the government clearly explain the rules and create a legal pathway for our youths to participate," she said. "Don't just arrest the young man. Teach him. License him. Organise him. Tax him. Let him create wealth."
Ijaw Blood further stated that the Niger Delta has contributed enormous wealth to Nigeria for decades, yet poverty persists in communities that continue to watch valuable resources leave their land without benefiting from them.
She concluded by reframing the debate, insisting that the real issue is not simply why youths are selling black sand, but why no legal system has been created to organise, license, train and empower Ijaw youths to benefit legally from the resources around them.
"Our natural resources should become opportunities for our people, not another reason to criminalise them," she added.
#BlackSand #IjawYouths #BayelsaStateGovernment #IjawNationalCongress #
#IjawYouthCounvul
#NigerDelta #IjawBlood
