Gold
Nigeria has an abundance of gold deposits found primarily in Northern Nigeria in the Borno, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, and Zamfara States as well as Southwestern Nigeria in the Osun State. Gold mining in Nigeria dates to the colonial period when mining began in 1914 in the Niger and Kogi States. Gold production peaked in the 1930s declining during World War II and nationalization policies in the 1970s (MMSD 2016). The sector’s industrial mining activities have not since recovered as the country’s first modern industrial gold project, Segilola mine, is set to begin production in 2021. Artisanal and small-scale operators dominate almost all of the gold mining across the country. Most recent production estimates from United States Geological Survey (USGS) set gold production at 7,900 kilograms in 2015 (USGS 2019, 31.6).
Read more in the Nigeria Country Profile.
Gemstones
Nigeria is considered the most important producer of multiple-colored gems in West Africa, known for its diverse colored gemstones (MMSD 2017, 17). The variety of colored gemstones found in Nigeria include aquamarines, beryl, corundum, emeralds, garnet, kunzite, ruby, sapphires, spinel, tourmaline, topaz and zircon (Adesugba and Hoon 2018; MMSD 2017, 17). The majority of gemstone mining activity, which is 100% artisanal and small-scale, takes place in Plateau, Kaduna and Bauchi States, but the sector is considered largely underdeveloped. The first recorded discovery of gemstones in Nigeria was in 1984 (Floter, Lujala and Rod 2005). There does not exist a formal estimate of the number of individuals participating in the gemstone sector nor data on the value of the sector. Gemstone miners are known to use a variety of mining methods (vertical underground mining, ground sluicing and panning) depending on the nature of the deposit (Ahmed and Oruonye 2016). A detailed socioeconomic impact study from 2016 (Ahmed and Oruonye 2016) on gemstone mining in the Taraba State provides the most robust data on the demographics of individuals involved in one region of the gemstone sector.
Read more in the Nigeria Country Profile.
Cassiterite (Tin)
Cassiterite, the chief ore of tin, is found in various regions across Nigeria, but artisanal mining activities for cassiterite are concentrated primarily in the Plateau, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States (Ebikemefa 2020). The Jos Plateau is the most significant tin mining region historically as mining activity dates back to 900 BC with significant commercial exploitation occurring after early 20th
century prospectors from the Royal Niger Company became aware of the area’s rich deposits (Alexander 1990). It is reported 80% of tin production nationally comes from the Jos Plateau (Omotehinse and Ako 2019). Government oversight of the sector is limited and lacking detailed data on daily production and employment in the sector.
At a typical cassiterite mine site, men will work in teams of ten to fifteen carrying out the ore extraction in mining pits at depths of 30-50m. Mechanization is limited as operations involve diggers, shovels, wheel and buckets systems to haul ore out of pits and head pans for transportation of ore to ground sluices where cassiterite is concentrated. At some sites, women are involved in the transport of the mineral ore from the pits to the banks of the ponds used for processing.
Read more in the Nigeria Country Profile.