Post by Trade facilitator on Sept 13, 2014 9:40:04 GMT 1
Mining in Nigeria is generally fraught with many challenges, more so by the low interest shown by government to the development of the sector generally. Ruth Tene Natsa looks at the challenges and solutions to gold mining in Nigeria.
In 2009, illegal gold mining activities led to the death of over 400 children and cost the federal government millions of naira in treatment, remediation and the teaching of safer mining in Zamfara State.
The lives wasted and money spent was blamed on the unsafe mining methods used by illegal miners who said, “Nothing is going to stop us from mining because that is the only livelihood we know.”
When Leadership visited Bagega (one of the affected communities) shortly after the remediation began, a miner, who chose to be identified as Sarkin Yan Daba (the hunters king), said, “There is so much wealth in the little slivers of gold we find and so are willing to live with the risks of lead poisoning re-occuring.”
Sadly, it is on record that no matter how much is mined, their products are undervalued and sold at a loss as the country lacks the proper licencing to grade and authenticate their finds. Poor record of gold in Nigeria remains a challenge which, if not tackled, will continue to cost government, communities, and even the miners, huge revenue losses while communities continue to lavish in poverty.
Record of gold production in Nigeria peaked in the period 1933-1943, where proven records revealed that 1.4 tonnes of gold was produced. Gold production declined during the second war and never recovered as mines were abandoned by colonial companies until the Nigerian Mining Corporation started exploration in the early 1980s.
Interestingly, that was not sustained due to lack of funding and but Nigeria found a money spinner, oil. Also interesting is the fact that the valuable and very scarce commodity is said to be present in several states of the federation where poverty and unemployment is a major challenge. These states include Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Kogi and Osun states among others.
Nigeria as a country is blessed with multiple natural minerals including gold which should be a huge source of revenue to the nation’s economy. But unlike other countries which experience great wealth in the mining of its gold, miners are seriously challenged in the mining of the commodity, making it impossible to keep proper records of the property mined.
LEADERSHIP findings revealed that very few companies have gone into gold mining despite the fact that Nigeria has record of gold and has been known to mine gold in the past due to lack of information and records of the nations gold deposits no serious prospectors have shown interests in the commodity.
Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP, President Nigerian miners Association Alhaji Sani Shehu said “Nigeria has gold, some companies are exploring gold even though there is no clear activities of gold mining in Nigeria.
In his words” what is clear is that activities of the artisanal and small scale miners do not allow for good record keeping, but I know that gold is mined in Nigeria, Kebbi, Kogi and Kwara among others”
He noted that even though millions of tonnes of gold was being mined,there was very little information on gold mining, making it imperative to ensure that more information on gold is made available”.
Speaking on the low level of gold activities in the sector, the miners president said lack of information on gold has left many in the dark, even though government has made efforts to shed light through various literatures, but noted that lack of information has hindered serious prospectors from delving seriously into gold mining.
The value of gold is such that it never goes down and a community with gold is said to be rich. South Africa as a country depends on its gold resources for its economic wealth such that a downing of tools by miners could collapse the economy. There is, therefore, no reason the government should be silent on the activities of gold mining in Nigeria.
It is time to make available information on gold activities in the country. It is time the government ensures that the nation’s gold is accounted for. It is time communities with gold begin to benefit from their resources. It is time for government to look towards preserving the nation’s mineral resources.
Source: LEADERSHIP
In 2009, illegal gold mining activities led to the death of over 400 children and cost the federal government millions of naira in treatment, remediation and the teaching of safer mining in Zamfara State.
The lives wasted and money spent was blamed on the unsafe mining methods used by illegal miners who said, “Nothing is going to stop us from mining because that is the only livelihood we know.”
When Leadership visited Bagega (one of the affected communities) shortly after the remediation began, a miner, who chose to be identified as Sarkin Yan Daba (the hunters king), said, “There is so much wealth in the little slivers of gold we find and so are willing to live with the risks of lead poisoning re-occuring.”
Sadly, it is on record that no matter how much is mined, their products are undervalued and sold at a loss as the country lacks the proper licencing to grade and authenticate their finds. Poor record of gold in Nigeria remains a challenge which, if not tackled, will continue to cost government, communities, and even the miners, huge revenue losses while communities continue to lavish in poverty.
Record of gold production in Nigeria peaked in the period 1933-1943, where proven records revealed that 1.4 tonnes of gold was produced. Gold production declined during the second war and never recovered as mines were abandoned by colonial companies until the Nigerian Mining Corporation started exploration in the early 1980s.
Interestingly, that was not sustained due to lack of funding and but Nigeria found a money spinner, oil. Also interesting is the fact that the valuable and very scarce commodity is said to be present in several states of the federation where poverty and unemployment is a major challenge. These states include Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Kogi and Osun states among others.
Nigeria as a country is blessed with multiple natural minerals including gold which should be a huge source of revenue to the nation’s economy. But unlike other countries which experience great wealth in the mining of its gold, miners are seriously challenged in the mining of the commodity, making it impossible to keep proper records of the property mined.
LEADERSHIP findings revealed that very few companies have gone into gold mining despite the fact that Nigeria has record of gold and has been known to mine gold in the past due to lack of information and records of the nations gold deposits no serious prospectors have shown interests in the commodity.
Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP, President Nigerian miners Association Alhaji Sani Shehu said “Nigeria has gold, some companies are exploring gold even though there is no clear activities of gold mining in Nigeria.
In his words” what is clear is that activities of the artisanal and small scale miners do not allow for good record keeping, but I know that gold is mined in Nigeria, Kebbi, Kogi and Kwara among others”
He noted that even though millions of tonnes of gold was being mined,there was very little information on gold mining, making it imperative to ensure that more information on gold is made available”.
Speaking on the low level of gold activities in the sector, the miners president said lack of information on gold has left many in the dark, even though government has made efforts to shed light through various literatures, but noted that lack of information has hindered serious prospectors from delving seriously into gold mining.
The value of gold is such that it never goes down and a community with gold is said to be rich. South Africa as a country depends on its gold resources for its economic wealth such that a downing of tools by miners could collapse the economy. There is, therefore, no reason the government should be silent on the activities of gold mining in Nigeria.
It is time to make available information on gold activities in the country. It is time the government ensures that the nation’s gold is accounted for. It is time communities with gold begin to benefit from their resources. It is time for government to look towards preserving the nation’s mineral resources.
Source: LEADERSHIP
