Nasarawa Prohibits Children Under 18 From Mining Sites

The Nasarawa State Government has banned anyone below the age of 18 from participating in mining activities across the state.

The government has also established a special monitoring and enforcement team to tackle illegal mining and child labour at mining sites.

The Commissioner for Environment, Solid Minerals and Mining, Margaret Elayo, announced the measures during a press conference in Lafia on Friday.

According to Elayo, the decision followed reports of the deaths of suspected illegal miners in Minna, Niger State, as well as growing concerns about the dangers mining activities pose to children.

She said government investigations had revealed that children were being used as labourers at artisanal mining sites in parts of Nasarawa State. Mining locations in Wamba, Nassarawa-Eggon and Kokona Local Government Areas were reportedly exposing children to health risks and preventing them from attending school.

Elayo warned that the state government would no longer tolerate illegal mining activities that endanger lives or contribute to environmental degradation.

She said the newly established monitoring team would visit mining communities across the state and arrest individuals or companies operating without valid licences or government approval.

Under the new directive, no child below 18 years is permitted to be present at any mining site in Nasarawa, whether as a labourer, errand runner or food vendor.

The commissioner warned that any company, mining-site operator or parent found violating the directive would face arrest and prosecution under the Child Rights Law and relevant mining regulations.

She urged mining companies to employ only adults aged 18 and above, provide adequate training and ensure that workers are equipped with appropriate safety gear.

Elayo also advised parents not to take their children to mining sites because of the serious health and safety risks associated with mining environments.

The state government, she added, would work with security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders to enforce the ban.

Nasarawa is also collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and other relevant agencies to organise artisanal miners into cooperatives as part of efforts to improve regulation, safety and accountability in the sector.

Elayo stressed that the government’s decision was not aimed at stopping mining activities but at ensuring that mining is carried out safely, responsibly and sustainably.