ILLEGAL MINING AND THE ESCALATION OF INSECURITY IN ZAMFARA STATE AND ITS NEIGHBOURING STATES, NIGERIA

Abstract

Illegal mining has emerged as one of the major drivers of insecurity in Nigeria’s North-West region, particularly in Zamfara State and its neighbouring states. Although the state possesses abundant deposits of gold and other strategic minerals, weak regulation, porous borders, poor governance, unemployment, and organized criminal networks have transformed the mining sector into a source of violent conflict. This paper examines the nexus between illegal mining and insecurity in Zamfara State, focusing on how artisanal and unregulated mining activities contribute to banditry, kidnapping, arms proliferation, forced labour, environmental degradation, and economic instability. Using qualitative analysis based on interviews, government reports, media investigations, and secondary literature, the study finds that armed groups and bandit networks increasingly control mining sites and exploit mineral resources to finance violent activities. The paper further reveals that illegal gold trade across transnational routes extending to the Niger Republic, Mali, and the United Arab Emirates facilitates money laundering and the procurement of arms. The study also highlights the devastating effects of illegal mining on human security, including food insecurity, displacement, lead poisoning, environmental destruction, and community instability. The paper concludes that the persistence of illegal mining reflects institutional weaknesses and inadequate enforcement mechanisms within Nigeria’s mining governance structure. It recommends strengthening regulatory frameworks, formalizing artisanal mining, improving border security, deploying forest guards and mining marshals, enhancing community awareness, and establishing transparent mineral-tracking systems to curb the financing of insecurity through illegal mining activities.