Spatial Location of Artisanal Mining Activities in Niger State and Its Implication to the Environment
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International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2020 Vol. 5, Issue 1, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 711-719 Published Online May 2020 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com) SPATIAL LOCATION OF ARTISANAL MINING ACTIVITIES IN NIGER STATE AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT Mustafa, Ibrahim Alhaji Ezeamaka Cyril Kanayochukwu Department of Geography, Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria Nigerian Defence Academy Kaduna, Nigeria Abstract- Niger State is blessed with abundant I. INTRODUCTION solid minerals deposits of different categories made up of precious metals, industrial minerals Nigeria is blessed with abundant solid minerals like coal, tin, gold, marble, limestone and others. deposits of different categories made up of precious These minerals have contributed to the growth metals, stones and industrial minerals like coal, tin, and development of the state and the country at gold, marble, limestone and others. These minerals large. However, the sector is been frustrated by have contributed to the growth and development of the activities of artisanal miners who uses local the country which have attracted several individuals implement such as hoe, digger, and shovel in into the exploitation in both legal and illegal manner mining. The research aimed at locating and (Mallo, 2007). Most of the mining activities are establishing the artisanal mining sites in Niger undertaken by artisanal miners which are seen as State and its implications to the environment. The surface or artisanal mining. These are done with little data used are oral interviews, use of hand held or no technology adaptation to handle the damages of GPS to pick coordinate of artisanal mining the mining activities (Oladipo, 2006). Increasing locations and from published works, Federal impact witness over the years was as a result of the Ministry of mines and steel, government fact that most of the miners undertake the activities ministries year articles, and journals. The illegally, that is without the required government research revealed that Niger state has un even license or permit. Most times, the mining areas are distribution of artisanal mining sites which is not not known to the government and its agencies adequately secured by the Government, it further responsible for the regulation of mining activities shows that artisanal miners has greatly affected (Ahmad,2008). This in turn makes it difficult for the the environment in various ways which include government to monitor their operations in order to altering of natural morphological look of the area, inflict environmental regulations on them. Similarly, release of harmful chemical to the ozone layer, the government may or may not have adequate polluting the water body, causes erosions. The records of land degraded during these operations in solution to these challenges is the revitalization of parts of the country or state where mining takes laws guiding mining in the state, government place. This makes future planning of policies of should call investors to the various site, provision reclaiming, restoring and managing the mining of adequate security to checkmate mining environment difficult. activities, and general improvement in the standard of living through enabling economy Mining refers to the process of extraction of mineral policies that will emancipate many out of poverty. deposits from the surface of the earth or from beneath the surface (Obaje et al., 2005; Ako et al., 2014). Keywords: Artisanal, Environment, Geographical Mining can only take place where minerals are Information System, Miners, Niger State present and economically feasible. The general importance of the mining sector has been documented to include foreign exchange, employment and economic development (Obaje and 711 International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2020 Vol. 5, Issue 1, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 711-719 Published Online May 2020 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com) Abba, 1996; Nwajiuba, 2000). The mining sector in geographic location is an important characteristic or Niger State consists of the formal large scale critical to the analysis. subsector, the formal small scale miners and the However, extraction of raw materials from their informal small scale or artisanal small scale miners natural habitats by mining considerably affect the (Svotwa and Mtetwa, 1997). The later involves natural environment (Musa et al., 2019). Again, unskilled small scale, informal and usually illegal creating the pits or quarries requires the removal of miners employ rudimentary methods and processes to virtually all-natural vegetation, top soil and subsoil to extract mineral resources and who most times, have reach the aggregate underneath. Not only does this little or no knowledge of environmental issues (Phiri, lead to a loss of existing animal wildlife, it also leads 2012). to a huge loss of biodiversity as plants and aquatic habitats are destroyed. Moreover, adjacent eco- Artisanal mining has become livelihood adopted systems are affected by noise, dust, pollution and primarily in rural areas (Veiga, 2003). Globally, there contaminated water. Also, a working quarry needs are about 10 to 20 million persons involved in methods of transportation and this means that large artisanal small-scale mining producing about 12% of amounts of machinery and heavy traffic will be the world’s mining annually (UNEP, 2008). Minerals brought into the area, causing an increase in local extraction in artisanal manners are people working noise, pollution and erosion. Despite the benefits, with simple tools and equipment (Bradshaw et al., mining also has negative impacts. The blasting using 1997). This is sometimes called informal sector, fire for extracting minerals contributes greatly to which is outside the legal and regulatory framework pollution (noise, soil and air). Mining interferes with (Azubike, 2011). When not formalized, organized, human settlement and wildlife habitat areas, leading planned and controlled, artisanal mining can be to their displacement. mining also leads to death, viewed negatively by governments and where workers are buried by the rocks (North Stone, environmentalists, due to its potential for 2016). environmental damage, social disruption and Artisanal mining operations often times leave the conflicts (Opafunso, 2010). affected environment severely degraded, physically Geographical Information System (GIS) are and socially. There is also the health effect on both information systems that facilitate the capture, the miners and other living things. Degradation storage, manipulation, analysis, management and commonly occurs at all stages of mining activities presentation of geo-referenced data. (Beunemann, from exploration to mine closure, resulting from both 2009). GIS as a technique can be employed in the large and small-scale artisanal mining operations mining sector due to its capability of allowing a (Phiri, 2012). Until the 1970’s environmental issues relatively high rate of public access to traditional were not given serious and adequate consideration in information, such as environmental impact mining policies by mining companies, government statements, studies and reports, significant and the host communities. Environmental environmental events and resources and census data. degradation was generally accepted as the price that With respect to artisanal mining, GIS can be used to had to be paid for the production of essential mineral located where these activities are found and the commodities. High rate of unemployment and extend at which it has affected the environment and poverty has paved way for the invasion of the man. GIS continues to be used as an effective environment by intense artisanal miners. The main planning tool, enabling users to access information target of artisanal miners was to mine primary and relating to, among other things, existing conditions, alluvial gold deposits with little or no consideration environmental assessments, impact statements, for the environment, thus, expelling a lot of heavy transportation studies, and community studies. metals associated with quartz as gangues and other GIS is a type of computerized mapping, yet it is not sundry poisonous by-products into the environment limited solely to map form because information about and any available water source (Open wells and a location can be represented through charts, graphs rivers) stressed that artisanal mining has caused a lot or tables in ways that are unavailable to traditional of negative impacts on the several communities of paper maps (Heywood et al., 1998). A GIS system is the Niger State. designed to determine, capture, management, manipulation, analysis, modeling, and display of Ahmad (2008) reported that artisanal mining spatially-referenced data for solving complex operations are taking place in Kaduna, Niger, Kogi, planning and management problems. Its purpose is Kwara, Oyo, Osun, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe, to store and analyze objects and phenomenon where Taraba, Benue and Cross River States in Nigeria. 712 International Journal of Engineering Applied Sciences and Technology, 2020 Vol. 5, Issue 1, ISSN No. 2455-2143, Pages 711-719 Published Online May 2020 in IJEAST (http://www.ijeast.com) Available records indicated that industrial metals: economic which affect both the people living in close precious metal, precious and semiprecious stones are proximity to the mining sites