Nigeria, May 7 -- Despite a series of ambitious policies and initiatives rolled out by the Nigerian government to reform the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, miners across the country remain trapped in a cycle of informality, exploitation, and environmental degradation.

The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (2007) and the National Minerals and Metals Policy (2008) provide a legal framework for small-scale miners to operate formally.

Additionally, the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) was launched in 2020 to formalize gold miners and channel resources to local communities. However, the impact of these reforms has not been deeply felt by the miners themselves.

Artisanal miners continue to face...