Overview
Gold is found in the ancient basement rocks of the north-west and south-west, in quartz veins and in the gravels of streams that drain them. It was worked and traded long before colonial rule, briefly mined industrially in the twentieth century, and is today dominated by small-scale and artisanal working, most prominently in Zamfara and Osun states.
Where it's found
History of exploitation
Gold moved along the trans-Saharan trade routes for centuries, though much of what reached the Sahel came from further west. Colonial-era mining in Nigeria concentrated on the Ilesha area from around the 1930s, using alluvial and shallow vein workings, and largely ceased by the middle of the century. Artisanal working revived from the late twentieth century in the north-west, and licensed small-scale and exploratory mining has developed alongside it.
Economic role
Gold has never been a major national export in the way oil or the cash crops were, but it supports significant local livelihoods in mining districts. No current output, price or reserve figures are given here.
Environmental and social impact
Artisanal gold processing crushes and washes ore, and where that ore contains lead the dust and residues are dangerous. An outbreak of severe lead poisoning in villages in Zamfara State, identified in 2010, was documented by health authorities and linked to ore processing carried out in and around homes, and it caused many deaths among children. Mercury use in amalgamating gold is a further recorded hazard. Mining districts have also seen conflict over access to sites and disruption to farming. This page notes the existence and effects of unregulated mining without describing how it is done.