Artisanal and small-scale mining in Nigeria: Experiences from Niger, Nasarawa and Plateau states

There is broad consensus that donors and policymakers have struggled to formalize artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) – low-tech mineral processing and extraction – because of a poor understanding of the sector’s dynamics. As a result, ASM is largely – and at times, unfairly – associated with illegality, smuggling, and a loss of royalty fees and title fees. Experiences from four communities in north-central Nigeria reveal that, despite these views, ASM has evolved into a viable activity that can potentially support rural developmental objectives such as employment, reduction of poverty and hunger, as well as profits for government. Our findings suggest that there is a higher potential for success in the sector in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa more generally if ASM is practiced in a community-inclusive way.