Socio-Economic Impact of Artisanal and Small Scale Mining in Parts of Niger State, North Central Nigeria.

Abstract

Niger state, central Nigeria is blessed with abundant mineral resources and has been described as the home of gold, in addition other gemstones. Because of these, Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners (ASM) flocked to the state in search of these minerals. The mined materials are often washed in open waterways, rivers and streams thus polluting such sources, while other materials are taken home for further processing thus exposing children and animals to associated minerals like lead. The activities of artisanal miners result in many devastating impacts on the environment which includes land degradation, pollution of soil and water, erosion, desertification and waste disposal. The most obvious to any casual observer is the land degradation created by open mine pits. However, the most serious impact, which affects the health of the population results from contamination of soils, surface water bodies and crops are the Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) such as lead, copper, zinc, together with arsenic which has posed serious challenges to the health of the populace. Mitigation Strategies involves Disaster Risk Reduction strategies in solid minerals mining in the state which will involve revisiting the current practices towards improving operations in this potential revenue generating sector.