Impact of Artisanal Small-scale Mining on Environmental and Socio-economic in Providing Employment Opportunities in Nige-ria

Chapter One of Impact of Artisanal Small-scale Mining on Environmental and Socio-economic in Providing Employment Opportunities in Nige-ria

Abstract of  Impact of Artisanal Small-scale Mining on Environmental and Socio-economic in Providing Employment Opportunities in Nige-ria

The study examines the impact of artisanal small-scale mining on environmental and socio-economic in providing employment opportunities in Nigeria. The study adopted both qualitative method and field work.

The study concluded that presence of these metals at minimal level in all seven locations when compared with the World Health Organisation limits shows that the mode of mining(artisanal small-scale mining) has a direct effect on the surface water of the area which was found to be negative. The research may serve as a reference of study of the trend of artisanal mining in Igun South-western Nigeria. However, the socio-economic and environmental effects the mining has on the area was studied during the course of this research and was found to have created more harm than it has done good to the environment. The results also indicate that the values of most of the observed physio-chemical parameters of water samples fall within the WHO guideline for portable drinking water.

The study further recommends that; educating local miners on the dangers of insequential mining on hit-and-run bases to the environment, the land owners and miners themselves. Government should liaise with geologist as a partner in their business who will use his training to guide their mining operations. The need to restrict children and under aged from labour work in mining sites should be enforced.  Government should enforce the legal framework that is already put in place by the government to guide operations of miners in the solid mineral sector. The artisanal miners should be enforced as a matter of necessity, to pay relevant legal fees to government and the land owners while the welfare of the community should be taken seriously. The need for land reclamation after mining activities has ended should be enforced in other words any miner that leaves the land unclaimed should be penalized.