Underage Mining Rises in Plateau as Children Abandon Schools for Tin Pits

Scores of children in Plateau State have abandoned school to engage in illegal mining activities across several local government areas, including Bassa, Jos North, Jos South, and Barkin Ladi.

An investigation revealed that boys and girls as young as nine are working daily at mining sites in search of tin, iron, and tantalite often under harsh and unsafe conditions.

Twelve-year-old Umar Faruk, who dropped out of school in Mista Ali, Bassa Local Government Area, said he turned to mining to support himself and his family. “I don’t go to school or learn any skill. I have been mining for over a year. I use the money to buy food, clothes, and also support my father,” he said, expressing hopes of returning to school someday.

Many children at the sites cited poverty, loss of parents, and the need to raise money for school materials as reasons for joining mining. Some parents admitted allowing their children to mine because of economic hardship, despite acknowledging the risks.

Hamza Usman, father of one of the child miners, said he allowed his son to continue mining after several failed attempts to keep him in school. “He refused to attend classes and would go to the mine instead. I didn’t want him to get into worse habits,” he said.

At the mining pits, the children work from as early as 7 a.m., digging and washing sand to extract tin, which they sell to local buyers for between ₦10,000 and ₦26,000 per kilogram, depending on quantity.

Tin traders confirmed that the children supply tin daily, with most selling in small quantities. “They bring one or two kilograms depending on their luck that day,” said Abubakar Gambo, a black-market tin buyer in Barkin Ladi.

The Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) acknowledged the rising number of out-of-school children due to mining. Its chairman, Sunday Samuel Amuna, said the government had started community sensitisation campaigns to encourage school attendance.

“Students of school age are required by law to attend school, and parents who fail to comply risk prosecution,” Amuna said, adding that the government is developing a new curriculum that combines education with vocational skills.

School heads in mining-prone areas reported sharp drops in enrolment despite free education policies. Mrs. Rose Bitti, headmistress of Baptist Primary School, Dorowa Babuje, said, “Mining has reduced attendance drastically. Even pupils in primary one now skip classes to join mining.”

Experts have described the situation as a ticking social crisis. Dr. Emmanuel Dang, an education lecturer at the University of Jos, warned that early exposure to money could destroy children’s values and push them toward crime.

“We are raising a generation that may not value education,” Dang said. “If the government enforces existing child labour laws and parents take responsibility, the trend can be reversed.”

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has expressed concern over the growing number of underage miners in Plateau, urging community and religious leaders to help end the practice.