PROFILING OF ARTISANAL AND SMALL SCALE MINING IN OLODE AREA, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria is endowed with solid mineral deposits ranging from metallic and non metallic or industrial minerals that are of diverse economic value. Records show that exploitation of many of the minerals remains at artisanal level where mineral exploitation  is characterized by mining in the crudest way, using local tools and implements that expose the mining community to   several hazards , extreme environmental degradation and  loss of farmlands.  Olode is located within Longitude 7°05ʹ and 7° 15ʹ and Latitude 4°55ʹ and 4° 00° in the Southwestern Basement Complex of Nigeria where black and green color tourmaline, garnet and beryl  are target minerals. This study is to X-ray activities of artisanal miners in the area and assess the impact of their operation on the environment and the standard of living of the people of the mining community. 

 The methodology involved oral interviews, administration of questionnaires and geo-traverse of the communities.  The questions that covered the mining activities, land acquisition and utilization for mining, Health – Safety-Environmental (HSE) issues, medical and the conditions of living in the communities were put together and administered. The results were analszed, rated and represented pictorially using pie chart.

The study revealed that mining is done in the most crude way and the environment badly affected.  The standard of living of the people in the mining communities is generally poor, manifesting different levels of human abuse and child labour. Medical attention is poor with high rate of sudden death common among the average aged people in the area.  Induced population growth and several levels of social vices are common features of the  rural setting.

Some steps that could be taken to make artisanal and small scale miners (ASM)   become willing partner of government in the sustainability of the solid mineral sector for sustainable development are proposed in this paper.

Key words: Artisanal, Olode, mining, crude, sustainable, X-ray.