The Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gusau, Professor Mu’azu Abubakar, has raised alarm over the growing threat of lead poisoning in Zamfara State, warning that the state is “sitting on a time bomb” due to widespread and poorly regulated mining activities.
Speaking at the university’s maiden seminar on environmental sustainability, themed “From Gold to Poison”, Abubakar painted a grim picture of the health and environmental risks associated with both legal and illegal gold mining across the state.
“Many people have abandoned their businesses because of the gold mining, which is more lucrative,” he said, adding that farming activities had declined drastically.
“You can hardly see cotton being sold in our ginneries, and this has resulted in the closure of all the textile industries in the state.”
The don lamented the increasing involvement of children in mining, warning that if urgent steps are not taken, Zamfara could soon be declared a danger zone for lead poisoning.
“The mining activity is seriously causing great havoc to our communities because of the lead poison issue. If you could recall, many children have died of lead poison in Zamfara, while several others are physically deformed.” he said.
Despite past bans on mining by the government, Abubakar noted that over 100,000 artisanal miners and licensed firms continue to operate in the state, further exacerbating environmental hazards.
Abubakar also linked the state’s security crisis to its mineral wealth, alleging that powerful individuals were using bandits to drive residents away from gold-rich areas.
“You can imagine that despite the persistent killings and kidnappings, there are many gold miners and mining companies in Zamfara State, but you hardly hear any news where the miners are attacked by bandits,” he noted.
“This is an indication that the miners are together with the bandits.”
He urged authorities to intervene swiftly, warning that both environmental degradation and insecurity could spiral further out of control if ignored.
In response, the Managing Director of the Zamfara State Mineral Development Company, Nasir Alhassan, assured participants at the seminar that the government would address the twin challenges of lead poisoning and insecurity.
He also disclosed plans by the state to explore the possibility of establishing a dedicated centre at the university to monitor and manage lead poisoning cases.
