By Lukman ABDULMALIK

FOR the past 15 years, residents of Tassa village in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, LGA and Mazan Gudu community in Gabasawa LGA, have been battling with sand mining activities in the community as it causes huge losses in their farming activities, environmental degradation, drug addiction and is also affecting their children’s education.

From 2022 to 2024, about 500 pupils have dropped out of school due to activities of sand miners in Mazan Gudu and Tassa.

Students absent themselves from school to work and earn some money at the sand mines. While the boys engage in manual work, including digging and diving into a deep river to fetch sand into tipper trucks or grinding machine sites, the girls hawk and sell food at the mining site.

In this investigation Lukman Abdulmalik reports on how students are abandoning school due to the earnings they make from the mining and loading of sand into tippers.

Tassa Community 

Tassa village is a small community in Dawakin Kudu LGA with about 3,000 people, including over 1,200 school-aged children. The community is rich in mineral resources, one of which is sand, which is illegally exploited by corporations, individuals, and certain government entities.

From the settlement to the sand mining site, it is about three kilometres but the impact of exploration activities are real.

It was around 8.00 am on the morning of January 15, when pupils were all expected to be in the classroom for daily school activities.

But the case was different in Tassa village as less than 200 pupils were seen studying in the school.

Abdullahi Hamza, 14, who left Pagi Nomadic Primary School in Primary 1 was spotted by this reporter as he held his shovel on his shoulder to join a group of sand miners heading to the Tumburawa River in Tassa to load sand taken from the river onto waiting tipper trucks.

Hamza, who is happy doing the sand mining business, said he willingly dropped out of school to earn money and also provide for his parents.

“I earn between N3,000 and N6,000 or more per day,” he said.

“I got influenced by my friends who were also labourers at the mining site, most of the time my friends spend lavishly and also make mockery of me. The stigma got me influenced to drop out of school and load sand on tippers.

“Every day I used to leave home around 4.00 a.m. and return by 7.00 p.m. from the sand mining site so that I could excavate as much sand as possible to make money.”

Hamza, who has been a laborer at the sand mining site for nine years, told this reporter that  he “prefers going to the sand mining site to earn a living than going to school” reason being because “our parents cannot provide for us and also the school cannot provide what I earn daily at the mining site.”

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In an interview with Abdullahi’s father, Hamza Abdu, 45, expressed his sadness that the sand mining has caused drawbacks in his children’s education.

“I registered my son Abdullahi in Pagi Nomadic Primary School for him to learn and acquire knowledge. My son didn’t spend a year in the school; he dropped out and joined his friends at the mining site,” he lamented.

“I feel so bad whenever I see my children going down to the sand mining site. I have done all my best for them to be back to school but they have refused.”

Musa Habib, a teacher in Dantube Primary School, one among the schools in Tassa Community of Dawkin Kudu LGA, said not less than 200 pupils have stopped attending school because of the sand mining activity.

I left College to start sand mining – Yau

Aminu Yau, 22, is a young boy who had a dream of becoming a pilot after his educational career.

He attended Abdullahi Bayero Nursery and Primary School in Tumburawa town of Dawakin Kudu LGA from 2004 to 2009. He furthered his education to secondary school at Dawakin Kudu Government Secondary School from 2010 to 2016.

Then, he got admitted to Federal College of Education Kano, FCE, in 2018. Sadly, this was when his dreams of one day flying airplanes died.

With a shovel in his hand, he narrated his sad story.

“I left FCE after my NCE 1 in 2019. Whenever I return home from school, I usually see my friends spending money and buying whatever they need. Most of the time they make fun of me that ‘nowhere this education will make you better learn how to hustle’, whenever I think of such a statement it hurts me a lot.

“During my NCE 1 holidays I decided to follow them down to River Bank to load sand on waiting tippers.

“I joined them to work from 4.00 am to 8.00 p.m which I made N6,000 as a first timer. Sometimes, I make up to N10,000 in a day. I became so happy and I started following them to the extent I forgot that school had resumed.”

He said that his father wants him to go back to school but does not see how that can happen now.

“My father has quarrelled with me countless times to resume school but I refused, because I do make about N200,000 in a month, which is enough for my upkeep.”

In an interview with Abubakar Saleh, one among the leaders of Tassa sand miners, he said more than 3,500 labourers work at this site.

“I have been working here for like 20 years. This mining site has become a source of income for both residents and outsiders from other parts of the country.

“Every day, more than 500 trucks come here to load sand, which they sell to contractors and other builders. We have no age restrictions, any child who wants to work and earn money we give them the room.”

Our children have abandoned both Islamic and western education – Tsoho

Abdulwahab Tsoho Adamu, 55, an elder and leader of Tassa Farmers and Tassa Community Development Association lamented that all their children have abandoned both Islamic and Western education.

“Our children have become a threat to us, illiteracy is growing in our society, as children between the ages of 8 and above have decided to join activities of sand mining rather than seeking education.

“Most of them have turned to drug addicts, because they need extra energy to work and earn more money.

“For the past 20 years before the commencement of the sand mining activity, our children usually attend schools, some of them even travel out of the state for study.

“We have counselled our children on the negative effects of the sand mining work and lack of education, but they have refused to listen.

“In this Tassa community there are several cases of children beating their parents as a result of the parent’s disinterest.

“Recently a tertiary scholarship opportunity reached out to me to get students who are through with their secondary school.

“Surprisingly, I went round the community, and I couldn’t find a single child who had finished secondary school, it is so disheartening.”

Adamu contends that as long as this mining continues the children who are currently in nursery school “will surely drop out from school and join their brothers.”

He added that “we have done all our efforts to stop this sand mining, but the activities are covered by our community leaders and some state political actors.”

He disclosed that about 100 community members signed a petition on October 7, 2020 to the Kano State Public Complaint and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Kano State Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the River Basin Development Authority to stop the sand mining which is affecting their livelihood.

But all their efforts were in vain as the mining is still in progress affecting their livelihood.

Adamu revealed that the village head, Sani Umar, is part of the individuals in the community who are promoting the continuation of the sand mining activity as he usually receives a token of about N20,000 from the miners.

Our reporter called Umar to confirm him with the allegation of working with the mining companied to the detriment of his people on January. However, as he picked up the call and heard the reporter’s voice asking introducing himself, Umar hung up the calls and blocked the number.

Lack of education contributes to underdevelopment – CSACEFA

Dr. Auwal Halilu, Chairman of Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All, CSACEFA stated that according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Kano State has the highest number of out-of-school children in the Nigeria, which stands at 989,234 and contributed to the country’s indices as the highest globally. 

UNESCO estimates that there are over 250 million children between 6 and 18 who are out of school around the world, with Sub Saharan Africa (98 million) having the highest figures.

Of Africa’s out of school children population, over 20 million come from Nigeria – 10.2 at primary level and 8.9 at Junior Secondary School (JSS) level.

Halilu explained that lack of education among children will lead to lack of representation which causes underdevelopment of skills necessary to represent oneself.

“Many individuals must resort to incredibly dangerous jobs just to make a living if they have limited education. Specifically, women and girls in developing countries often resort to various methods of exploitation to provide for themselves and their families.”

Girls molested at mining site

The problem with the mining sites concerns not only the boys but also girls, some as young as 10 years old. Young girls in the Tassa community also no longer go to school but hawk edible food at the sand mining site.

About 100 young girls hawk at the mining site, and it is alleged that some of them have been raped.

One of the miners, Ismail Sulaiman (not real name), disclosed that young girls are also engaged in prostitution activities around the mining site.

“Most of the young girls here are at the age of 12 to 25 who are not attending school but hawking and being raped. In most cases the male miners lobby the girls with money or buy their entire food items, while some are being forced without consent.”

Kubra Yarmama, 16, who is also a victim of rape at Tassa sand mining site narrated that she has been hawking rice and beans to the sand mining site for over five years.

In her words she said “I started hawking at the age of 11, immediately I dropped out from primary 4, Dantube Primary School.

“I was influenced by my friends who told me the sand mining site is a money making place, especially for young girls, so I started following them hawking rice and beans which was being prepared by my mother.

She recounted her harrowing rape experience to the reporter.

“On August 17, 2022 one of the sand miners known as Dankwabo bought my food worth N6,000. From then he started following me and seeking consent which I refused. Unknown to me Dankwabo followed me and raped me around 8.00 pm when I was on my way home.”

Currently Yarmama is still hawking rice and beans at the sand mining site and many girls who dropped out of schools to make money have terrible stories to tell.

Salamatu Hafizu, 17, said that she makes between 10,000 to 25,000 daily at the sand mining site.

She narrated that, “I started hawking and selling boiled sweet potatoes in 2019 to the sand miners.

“One of my loyal customers, Umar Baballe, usually gives me money for free or sometimes buys my food items and asks me to keep the change.

“As time went on, in 2021, Baballe started seeking to have carnal knowledge with me and I rejected because I have never done it and also afraid of my parents.

“He invited me to his tent after I had sold my food in the evening around 6 p.m, I went to his tent where he started seducing me and I couldn’t resist.

“Suddenly, he had carnal knowledge with me, two days after he gave me some drugs to swallow.”

However, both Baballe and Dankwabo are no longer working at the mining site.

On January 25  2024, a call was made by this reporter to Baballe but after narrating the allegations to him on Salamatu Hafizu’s case, he hung up the call and blocked the reporter’s contact.

Moments later, another phone number was used to contact Baballe but his number did not connect after many attempts, indicating that he had switched of his phone or abandoned his mobile number.

The next day, a text message was sent to Baballe but he failed to respond at the time of filing this report.

In an interview with Zakirullahi Nura, one of the chairmen who takes care of the tippers at the mining site, he said that “both young and adult male and female come to this site to hustle.”

“Some sell food items while others, most especially the male load sand on waiting tippers.

“Majority of them are school dropouts, and the reason why we don’t disallow them coming here is because they also need money to support their family and we also need them to survive the work.”

While questioning Nura on the girls molestation on the site, he denied saying “we have never recorded any case rape or molestation here.”

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) reported that it recorded 171 (Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases from November, 2022, to February, 2023, via its platform in the state.

Section 31 of the Child’s Rights Act (2003) provides as follows: 31. (1) No person shall have sexual intercourse with a child. (2) A person who contravenes the provision of Subsection (1) of this section commits an offence of rape and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for life.

Sand mining a silent global challenge affecting children 

Sand mining is a silent global environmental problem that is largely ungoverned. Annually, 50 billion tonnes of sand is mined across the world, making it the most extracted material in volume and the second most used resource after water, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

While the scale at which sand is being mined in Nigeria is largely undocumented, increasing population and urbanisation are driving the demands for construction sand that the Tumburawa river possesses.

Without regulations, the extraction is wreaking havoc; escalating the risk of erosion, undermining protection against storm surges and impacting biodiversity.  It has also affected education, water supply, food production and fisheries, all of which pose a threat to the livelihood of people in the affected areas and beyond.

According to the International Labour Organisation, (ILO) the prevalence of children in mining is growing.

The LO added that children in mining have become a focus of attention as its links to many of the worst forms of child labour on the African continent.

The ILO estimates that nearly 1 million children under the age of 5 to 17 work in the mines and quarries in Nigeria in 2005.

However in 2021 report by the ILO revealed that the number has significantly increased to 15 million children engaging in child labour in the country.

“Children are mining for several reasons: family disintegration through poverty or traditional expectations of children as income earners; negligence and premature independence from parental control.

“Local communities at the fringes of mines have suffered and continue to  suffer various degrees of adverse impact of mining operations. Some communities have suffered militaristic attacks, others have had their water sources polluted, their land destroyed, and many of them continue to suffer low and inadequate compensation packages.

“Concerns have also been expressed about inadequate housing, youth unemployment, family disorganisation, school dropouts, prostitution and drug abuse associated with the mining boom. In most cases these impacts affect people of different age groups and gender differently.

“Due to the sub-sectors’ remoteness, informal character and mobility, the number of children involved in mining and quarrying activities is difficult to measure,” the report stated.

The Nigerian Child Rights Act 

More than twenty years after Nigeria passed a law banning child labour, the ILO says there are still fifteen million children working in the country.

The plight of children working in Nigeria’s mines is especially harsh but for many the paycheck is worth the pain.

The Child Rights Act 2003 serves as the main legislation for the protection of children and young adults in Nigeria and it establishes the legal framework for the protection of a child’s rights in Nigeria.

The Act prohibits the engagement of children in any form of labour that is detrimental to their development, setting the minimum age for employment at 15 years. It however provides that children of 14 years can be engaged provided that it does not interfere with the their education.

The Act further provides that no child shall be exposed to any form of exploitative labour, employed as a domestic help, or even be involved in carrying anything too heavy for his physical physique. This provision in the Child Rights Act is quite comprehensive, as it also envisages the possibility of industrial employment.

In the face of the prevalence of child labour in Nigeria, it was indeed imperative for the Child Rights Act to provide as it did, a specific prohibition of child labour. In this regard, section 28 (1) and (2) provides thus:

(1) Subject to this Act, no child shall be:

(a) Subjected to any forced or exploitative labor; or

(b) employed to work in any capacity except where he is employed by a member of his family on light work of an agricultural, horticultural or domestic character approved by the Commissioner; or

(c) required, in any case, to lift, carry or move anything so heavy as to be likely to adversely affect his physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development; or

(d) employed as a domestic help outside his own home or family environment.

(2) No child shall be employed or work in an industrial undertaking and nothing in this subsection shall apply to work done by children in technical schools or similar approved institutions if the work is supervised by the appropriate authority.

The Act goes a step further to also provide punishment for any person who violates the prohibition of child labour by providing that any person who contravenes any provision of subsection (1) or (2) of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand naira or imprisonment for a term of five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.

Drug abuse, illiteracy hits Mazan Gudu community in Gabasawa LGA 

Apart from the negative impact of the mining activities at Tassa and other places on education and girls, there are other environmental and social harzards.

The mining industry can put a lot of pressure on its employees, including heavy workloads and hazardous conditions. This can cause workers to turn to substances for coping with high levels of physical pain, emotional turmoil, and mental stress.

Just like Tassa village, in Dawakin Kudu LGA, Mazan Gudu community in Gabasawa LGA also face similar challenges of pupils’ absence from school but also has a high rate of drug abuse.

Zuladaini Yusif, 15, is a labourer at the sand mining site in Mazan Gudu community. He dropped out from school at the age of 8 to make a living for himself.

“School is no longer interesting to me because I earn N5,000 every day from the sand mining site. My father enrolled me in Mazan Gudu primary school, but all the time I usually go to school with hunger and come back home with hunger.

“Seeing my colleagues are getting money and are not living a hungry life, I started following my friends to the mining site.”

Zuladaini told this reporter that part of what made him enjoy the mining activity is that he uses drugs to get extra energy and earn him more money.

However, most miners resort to self-medication and abuse of prescription painkillers, few of which are opioids, tramadol, and cocodamol in order to get through their workday.

Many addicted miners develop increased tolerances and eventually move onto stronger opioids such as heroin, resulting in even more deadly consequences.

Mallam Aliyu Ibrahim, the village head of Mazan Gudu community, lamented that his village is facing a high prevalence of drug addicts and school dropouts.

“More than 400 pupils in this community have stopped going to school due to the activities at the mining site. Our girls have turned to food sellers while some are just there to prostitute. This sand mining activity is seriously spoiling the character of our children,” he lamented.

Expert reacts

The Executive Director of ‘Say no to Drug Abuse’, Saminu Basiru, said substance abuse is a destructive force across all levels of society. It can ruin someone’s life and the lives of those around them, he observed.

He added that the reasons for substance abuse in society are varied and disputed, with genetics, poverty, drug availability, occupation and a whole host of other factors believed to be partly responsible.

“Mining is a male-dominated industry, which research shows has higher rates of substance abuse in the workplace.

“However the hectic work in mining can lead to boredom and detrimental mental health issues, both of which play a part in creating an atmosphere of substance abuse.”

The environmental impacts of sand minning

Sand mining has become a widespread and lucrative business in Africa. The continent is home to some of the world’s largest sand reserves, which have been used for construction, and land reclamation.

It is also commonly used in construction, especially in urban areas where there is a high demand for housing and infrastructure. The construction industry is booming across the continent, fuelled by rapid urbanization and population growth.

This has led to a massive increase in sand mining activities, which have become a significant source of income for many people.

However, the uncontrolled and often illegal extraction of sand has led to severe environmental and social impacts, including the destruction of ecosystems, loss of livelihoods, and displacement of communities.

According to Social Action International, it was reported that sand mining has severe environmental consequences. It can cause erosion and sedimentation, which can alter the flow of rivers and affect the habitats of aquatic organisms.

Sand mining can also reduce water quality and quantity, which can affect agriculture, fishing, and other industries that rely on water resources[3]. Furthermore, sand mining can cause the loss of biodiversity, as it can destroy habitats and disrupt ecosystems.

In Nigeria, sand mining has had severe consequences for local communities. One of the most significant impacts is the displacement of communities that depend on natural resources for their livelihoods.

Sand mining often involves dredging and excavation, which can damage or destroy crops, fisheries, and other sources of livelihood.

Additionally, sand mining can cause environmental pollution, as it often involves the use of heavy machinery, which releases emissions and noise pollution.

Another impact of sand mining in Nigeria is the damage to infrastructure. It can cause erosion and sedimentation, which can affect bridges, roads, and other infrastructure and lead to costly repairs and even accidents, such as bridge collapses.

Moreover, sand mining can contribute to climate change. The process of sand mining releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming.

Furthermore, the loss of vegetation due to sand mining can reduce the capacity of natural ecosystems to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

*This report republished from Kano Focus was done with the support of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, under its Promoting Democratic Governance in Nigeria Project.