Armed Banditry, Artisanal Mining, and the Changing Security Landscape of North-Central Nigeria

Authors

  • Ibrahim Ogirima O. SALAWU Department of Politics and Governance, Kwara State University, Malete
  • Ambali ABDULRAUF Department of Politics & Governance, Faculty of Management and Social Sciences Kwara State University, Malete
  • Mohammed Idris DANJUMA Department of Politics and Governance, Kwara State University, Malete
  • Abdullahi Shina YAHAYA Department of Politics and Governance, Kwara State University, Malete
  • Oyewole LAMBE Department of International Relations, Ahman Pategi University, Patigi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53477/2284-9378-26-16

Keywords:

Solid Minerals;, Insecurity, Political Economy;, Resource Governance;, North-Central Nigeria;, Violence.

Abstract

The study aims to examine the relationship between artisanal mining and insecurity in North-Central Nigeria,
with particular attention to the roles of state and non-state actors in shaping conflict dynamics within mining
communities. It aims to assess the influence of governance mechanisms on sustainable solid mineral development
within Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining survey data
from 400 respondents, including community leaders, artisanal miners, security personnel, civil society actors, and local government officials, with qualitative interviews providing contextual depth. Grounded in Resource Curse and Political Ecology perspectives, the study finds that unregulated mining of gold, tin, and columbite significantly escalates armed banditry and territorial conflicts. Regression results show a strong positive relationship between informal mining and insecurity (β = 0.67, p < .01) and a moderate effect of state and non-state actors on violence escalation (β = 0.52, p < .05). The study concludes that insecurity reflects governance deficits and rent-seeking dynamics, underscoring the need for stronger regulation and inclusive local governance mechanisms for sustainable conflict mitigation.

Downloads

Published

2026-07-01

How to Cite

O. SALAWU, I. O. ., ABDULRAUF, A. ., DANJUMA, M. I. ., YAHAYA, A. S. ., & LAMBE, O. . (2026). Armed Banditry, Artisanal Mining, and the Changing Security Landscape of North-Central Nigeria. BULLETIN OF "CAROL I" NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY, 13(2), 7–26. https://doi.org/10.53477/2284-9378-26-16

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

The published articles are subject to copyright law. All rights are reserved to the “Carol I” National Defense University, regardless of whether all or part of the material are considered, especially the rights to translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, quotations, broadcasting through the media, reproduction on microfilms or any other way and storage in data banks. Any replicas without the associated fees are authorized provided the source is acknowledged.