SPATIAL LOCATION OF ARTISANAL MINING ACTIVITIES IN NIGER STATE AND ITS IMPLICATION TO THE ENVIRONMENT

Niger State is blessed with abundant solid minerals deposits of different categories made up of precious metals, industrial minerals like coal, tin, gold, marble, limestone and others. These minerals have contributed to the growth and development of the state and the country at large. However, the sector is been frustrated by the activities of artisanal miners who uses local implement such as hoe, digger, and shovel in mining. The research aimed at locating and establishing the artisanal mining sites in Niger State and its implications to the environment. The data used are oral interviews, use of hand held GPS to pick coordinate of artisanal mining locations and from published works, Federal Ministry of mines and steel, government ministries year articles, and journals. The research revealed that Niger state has un even distribution of artisanal mining sites which is not adequately secured by the Government, it further shows that artisanal miners has greatly affected the environment in various ways which include altering of natural morphological look of the area, release of harmful chemical to the ozone layer, polluting the water body, causes erosions. The solution to these challenges is the revitalization of laws guiding mining in the state, government should call investors to the various site, provision of adequate security to checkmate mining activities, and general improvement in the standard of living through enabling economy policies that will emancipate many out of poverty.