Illegal Gold Mining and Sustainable Human Security in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

There is an abundance of gold in Osun state, Nigeria. The illegal exploration of gold is a bane of the state. Section 44 (3) of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Law of 1999 vests the ownership and control of mineral resources within the country on the Federal Government. However, anthropogenic activities such as illegal mining thrives in Osun state, further altering the ecology of affected communities. Farmlands have been confiscated by illegal miners and dug about 200 meters below landscape, allowing for erosion and soil contamination. The study aims to assess the environmental security effects of illegal mining on the host communities in Osun state, Nigeria. While environmental security is the focal point of discourse, other elements of human security stem from the former. Secondary sources such as books, journals, and internet materials will be employed. The study finds out that the enactment of sustainable development policies and legal frameworks notwithstanding, illegal gold mining activities thrive in the local communities of Osun state, Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that regulatory agencies conduct surveillance of the mines and strictly enforce punitive measures to defaulters of the mining law in Nigeria.