Livelihood Implication of Artisanal Mining on Herders in Jema’a and Sanga Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the livelihood implication of artisanal mining on herders in Jema’a and Sanga local government areas of Kaduna state, Nigeria, with a view to providing information for sustainable living. Data for this study was collected through questionnaire survey, in-depth interview and direct field observation. The result showed that herders are involved in artisanal mining due to economic hardship/poverty, quick/high income generation from mining, supplementing income generated from other sources, lack of livestock, availability of minerals, high level of insecurity and Covid-19 lockdown. The result also indicated that artisanal mining increases asset acquisition, empowerment and provision of job to herders, leads to new income generating opportunities, and increase in income due to high demand for animal products, but diminishes available land for grazing, forces herders to relocate to new areas, causes competition for natural resources, lures their younger ones away from herding, prostitution, armed robbery and kidnapping, loss of livestock, pollution of domestic water sources and loss of young herders. It is therefore important that adequate training be given to herders on modern methods of livestock keeping to discourage them from involving in mining of minerals. In order to reduce their vulnerability to mining of minerals, it is also recommended that government and private sectors should work towards reducing poverty and unemployment to all kinds of persons across the country.