THE ROLE OF SMALL-SCALE STONE MINING IN MITIGATING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN ZAMFARA STATE

Abstract

The paper examined the role of small-scale stone mining in mitigating unemployment among youths in Zamfara State. The paper informed on the basis that small-scale stone mining is a key factor in reducing unemployment in Zamfara State. Zamfara is one of the poorest states in Nigeria where youths are engaged in small-scale mining. The sample size of the study comprised of 371 respondents. Structured interview was used as the primary instrument of data collection. Purposive sampling techniques was used to select quarry sites while simple random sampling technique was used to select respondents for the study. Data collected was presented in tables and percentages.

The study found out that small-scale stone mining had significantly helped in mitigating unemployment among youths in Zamfara State. This is because before joining small-scale stone mining, majority 63.3% of youths were unemployed prior to joining small-scale stone mining while after joining stone mining majority of youths had were employed by participating in the mining activities as 46.4% served as diggers, 34.5% stone breakers while 16.4% served as loaders

The major factors limiting youth involvement in small-scale stone quarrying were lack of modern quarrying equipment, absence of personal protective gadgets and ignorance about government regulations in the mining industry. The study therefore recommends more youths in Zamfara State should be given the enabling environment by respective authorities to carry out small scale stone mining in Zamfara state as a way of mitigating unemployment and the Federal Government of Nigeria should provide financial incentives to quarry operators to enable them buy modern quarry equipment to ease their jobs.