RismadarVoice Reporters
September 19, 2026
The Nasarawa State Government has prohibited children below the age of 18 from engaging 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 locations.
The Commissioner for Environment, Solid Minerals and Mining, Margaret Elayo, announced the measures on Friday during a press conference in Lafia.
Elayo said the decision was prompted by concerns over the dangers posed by mining activities to children, as well as reports of the deaths of suspected illegal miners in neighbouring Niger State.
She said the ministry had received reports indicating that children were being used as labourers at artisanal mining sites in parts of Nasarawa.
According to her, mining locations in Wamba, Nasarawa-Eggon and Kokona Local Government Areas were exposing children to health risks while also interfering with their education.
The commissioner warned that the state government would not 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, companies or operators found working without valid licences or government approval.
“Henceforth, no child below the age of 18 is allowed to be found at any mining site in Nasarawa State, either as a labourer, errand runner or food vendor,” Elayo said.
She added that any company, mining-site operator or parent who violates the directive would face arrest and prosecution under the Child Rights Law and relevant mining regulations.
Elayo urged mining companies to employ only adults aged 18 and above, while ensuring that workers receive adequate training and appropriate safety equipment.
She also advised parents not to take their children to mining sites, warning that the working environment could expose them to serious health hazards.
The commissioner said the state government would work with security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders to ensure compliance with the new directive.
She further disclosed that the state was 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 and safety.
Elayo stressed that the ban was not aimed at stopping mining activities in the state, but at ensuring that the sector operates safely, responsibly and sustainably.
