Twelve-year-old Abdulrasheed Awal and his father Awal Dapkai make between N45,000 and N50,000 each day through illegal mining, a hazardous pursuit he has adopted in Farindoki, a secluded village in the Shiroro local government area of Niger State.
“There’s no other work here,” he explains, noting, “The money is good, but it’s risky.”
In this remote area, where government oversight is virtually absent and law enforcement scarce, illegal mining has become a lifeline for many underaged and adults in the area.
Abdulrasheed spends gruelling hours extracting minerals, aware of the significant risks but driven by the need to support his father.
The region, defined by armed conflict and severe poverty, offers few alternatives for young boys like him.
This is the issue of exploitation of vulnerable youth in relation to mining, many of whom risk their lives daily for minimal gain, as poverty and insecurity dictate their futures.
Abdulrasheed, wearing a polo-shirt orange and white in color, told SaharaReporters that he grew up seeing his parents rely on farming.
However, due to insurgency and banditry, their farmlands have been abandoned.
Now, he and his parents depend on illegal mining for survival.
“I now go to a mining site daily to help my parents make little money in order to be able to provide for myself and siblings,” he said.
“It hasn’t been easy for us because we can’t go back to our farmlands, mining is what we now depend on.”
He revealed that the work is risky and detrimental to his health, and admitted he has never attended school in his life.
In August 2023, the Niger State government announced the banning of all forms of mining activities in the state.
The ban which was unconditionally lifted this year was implemented by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago to enable the government to profile all those involved in mining operations across the state and keep accurate records of their activities.
Also, in March this year, Nigeria’s federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development unveiled a 2,200-strong mine marshals to fight illegal miners and all those who flout the nation’s mining laws.
The marshals were drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
“With a command structure spread across the 36 states and the FCT, the mines marshal will have their command and control domiciled in the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD), with an initial 60 operatives deployed in each state and the FCT,” the ministry had said in statement.
SaharaReporters’ who visited Farindoki, Ajata Aboki, Gurmata, Shiroro, and Kuta found that Abdulrasheed, 12, was not alone in this illegal mining business and also discovered that more than 50 illegal mining sites were seen scattered around the areas operated mostly by underage children.
In Ajata Aboki, another agrarian community, Matthew Danladi, 17, admitted dropping out from school and has been involved in illegal mining for more than three years now.
Dalade said since he dropped out from junior secondary school in 2021 when banditry attacked his community and ransacked many people, he has been involved in illegal mining to support his parents to feed who are now temporarily taking shelter at an Internally Displaced Persons Camp (IDP) in Kuta, the headquarter of Shiroro LGA.
“I earn between N20,000 to N40,000 daily from this work. From this money I often give to my patients to take care of some of their needs while in Kuta IDP camp,” he said.
‘Insecurity, Hunger, Poverty Forced Me To Abandon Farming For Illegal Mining’
Awal Dapkai Abdulrasheed’s father leaves their home before dawn every day to dig for precious stones for survival.
“It’s dangerous work, but I have no choice,” he explained, his voice heavy with despair. “Hunger drives us to risk our lives.”
As they toil under the blazing sun, thoughts of their abandoned farm haunt him. “We used to cultivate crops and live with dignity,” Awal recalled.
“Now, survival is all that matters.” With dreams shattered, he clings to hope that one day, they might return to farming and regain a sense of normalcy.
Awal also admitted that for teens like Abdulrasheed to engage in such physical and energy demanding labor it is detrimental to his health but couldn’t question it because there were no any alternatives for survival aside from mining at the moment.
SaharaReporters’ visit to some of this illegal mining site revealed that the little children endangered their lives in the name of mining for survival.
It was also shown that some of the illegal mining sites have the presence of Nigeria security forces guiding the illegal miners.
When this reporter randomly spoke to some of the miners at a mining site in Galadima, it was revealed that the security personnel’s presence is to guide and protect the miners.
Mining Collapse Exposes Harsh Realities For Niger State’s Illegal Miners
Meanwhile, villages in Shiroro local government area are not the only places where illegal mining activities are taking place in Niger state. It is across the state including Minna, the state capital, Paiko, Chanchaga, Bosso and other locations.
On June 3, 2024, at least 20 miners were trapped when a mining pit owned by African Minerals and Logistics Limited collapsed in Galkogo, a remote community in Shiroro, killing approximately 15 miners.
Meanwhile, the Niger State has had three mines’ collapses, one in Galadinmankogo with over 60 people, another in Kaffin-koro, which claimed two lives, and there was also the drowning of a woman and her daughter around the MI Wushishi Housing Estate, who both died.
For many young people in Niger State, mining, both illegal and legal, is a major source of income. The state’s abundance of mineral resources has made it a hotbed for mining activity.
Niger state has issued 578 mineral titles, out of which 369, representing 81.46 per cent were granted on gold alone. Shiroro, where the pit collapsed, Munya and Rafi local government areas, house one the largest deposits of gold in the state making them a place of attraction for terrorists locally known as bandits.
For the 20-year-old Musa Danjuma, who works daily in an illegal mining site in Gwada Ajata Aboki, his journey into mining began when insurgent violence devastated his community, forcing his family into poverty.
With no other means to survive, Musa joined other youths and even younger children, some as young as ten, who are now trapped in the harsh realities of illegal mining.
“The work is exhausting, but we need to eat,” Musa shows his hands calloused from endless digging. Parents in Gwada, desperate and displaced, feel they have no choice but to allow their children to join in the dangerous work.
For many, the decision is heart-wrenching, but insurgent attacks have left them with few options.
Illegal mining sites offer no safety measures, and injuries from landslides, heavy equipment, and toxic chemicals are common.
Many children and young adults like Musa face daily life-threatening conditions as they mine for gold in unstable pits.
How Common Is Child Labour?
Child labour remains a persistent global issue. Data from UNICEF show that approximately 160 million children were engaged in child labour at the start of 2020, accounting for nearly 1 in 10 children worldwide.
Among these, 79 million are involved in hazardous work. The gender breakdown reveals that 97 million children are boys, while 63 million are girls.
Nearly half of all children involved in child labour—79 million—are engaged in hazardous work that directly threatens their health and safety. While child labour is most common in low-income countries, more than half of all child labour occurs in middle-income countries.
Additionally, it is more prevalent in rural areas, particularly within the agriculture sector.
Meanwhile, international standards define child labour as work that harms a child’s health and development, requires excessive hours, and/or is performed by children who are too young.
This type of labour often disrupts a child’s right to education and play.
District Head Urges Action As Children Abandon School For Mining
District head of Farindoki, Musa Bayega, has urged the government to take immediate action to safeguard children’s education and improve local livelihoods.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, Musa expressed concern over the abandonment of school by children, who now depend solely on mining to support themselves and their families.
“The illegal mining involving these children began as small-scale operations, often in their backyards, but it has grown significantly. Now, they travel considerable distances into the bush to mine,” he explained.
He noted that the only primary school in the community had long been closed due to banditry and a general reluctance among pupils to attend.
“The teachers no longer come. In our last meeting with them, they urged parents to send their children to school, but there was little commitment from both parents and pupils. Eventually, the teachers stopped coming,” he said.
Musa also highlighted the dangers associated with mining, mentioning incidents of pit collapses and casualties. He expressed particular concern for the safety of children and adults who risk their lives daily in the hazardous conditions.
Niger state has over 700,000 out-of-school children —out of Nigeria’s 20 million children out of school.
These figures encompass children between 6 and 18 years old, spanning from primary school to senior secondary school.
In addition, the north-central state- Niger state ranked 9th in the out-of-school children index in Nigeria.
Niger State Intensifies Efforts To Tackle Child Labour In Mining Sector
The Niger State government has acknowledged the growing issue of child labour linked to illegal mining activities in the state.
And to address this, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs has incorporated child labour intervention strategies into the state budget, demonstrating the government’s commitment to tackling this issue comprehensively.
The state has also established the Child Rights Agency, which is now part of a steering committee dedicated to addressing child labour in mining.
Ndagi Alhaji Ndagi, Director of Planning at the Niger State Ministry of Mineral Resources, told SaharaReporters that key stakeholders, including the federal mining sector, state Ministry of Information, and Ministry of Education, are collaborating on these efforts.
The government has introduced advocacy programmes aimed at returning children from mining sites to school.
“There’s a concerted advocacy to see children off the mines and back in school,” Ndagi explained.
However, insecurity in certain areas has disrupted these initiatives and posed challenges to the success of the programmes.
Group Advocates For Safer Mining, Child Education, And Environmental Protection
Speaking to SaharaReporters, Habibu Wushishi, co-chair of the Federation of Nigerian Mining Host Communities, explained efforts to address the dangers faced by external miners.
“We are transforming them to understand the risks of unsafe mining,” Wushishi said, noting that frequent pit collapses often lead to fatalities.
He also highlighted the environmental degradation and pollution caused by mining, which contributes to various diseases and hazards.
Wushishi stressed the importance of miners forming cooperatives to improve their conditions.
“By doing so, they will profit more and reduce the hazards associated with individual mining,” he added.
He also discussed the involvement of children in mining, often due to parental influence.
To tackle this, Wushishi and his team focus on educating parents about the dangers of mining and encouraging them to send their children back to school.
The federation collaborates with government ministries to improve mining practices and provide resources for safer operations.
This report was published with the support of Civic Media Lab.