A lecturer in the Department of Earth Sciences at Anchor University, Lagos, Oluwaseun Victoria Fatoye, has emphasised the crucial environmental, health, and safety benefits of legal mining operations in Nigeria.
   
She also raised the alarm over the growing dangers posed by illegal mining activities nationwide.
Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, Fatoye stressed the importance of regulatory compliance in the extractive industry, noting that Nigeria’s legal mining sector operates under a robust regulatory framework designed to safeguard both people and the environment.
   
She explained that licensed mining companies must adhere to strict environmental and safety standards, including the controlled use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, which are commonly employed in gold extraction.
   
Fatoye pointed to the tragic consequences of unregulated practices in states such as Zamfara and Niger, where illegal gold mining has led to widespread contamination, destruction of aquatic life, and even loss of human lives.
   
She stated: “Legal mining operations in Nigeria are regulated by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, in collaboration with the Mining Cadastre Office and other geological agencies.
   
“As a result, harmful operational practices are minimised. The use of toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide commonly used in gold extraction and known to cause soil and water contamination (both surface and groundwater) is strictly controlled in licensed mining companies.”

According to her, this stands in stark contrast to the incidents recorded in states like Zamfara and Niger. 

Fatoye said legal mining companies are also required to implement land reclamation procedures to restore mined areas.

The lecturer insisted that cases of child labour, violence at mining sites, and health hazards are significantly lower under legal operations as well as the minimised indiscriminate disposal of mine waste (tailings).
   
“In contrast, illegal mining activities disregard all of these standards. Such negligence has led to widespread soil and water contamination, endangered aquatic life, and caused the loss of lives among miners and surrounding communities’ tragic outcomes clearly seen in the cases of Zamfara and Niger states,” she said. 
     
Fatoye called on government agencies, environmental bodies, and security operatives to intensify efforts to clamp down on illegal mining operations.
She also advocated for public awareness campaigns to highlight the long-term dangers posed by unregulated mining.