THE HIDDEN COST OF MINING IN NIGERIA (EVENT REPORT)
THE FIGURE Workspace and Bookspace at OAU Campus Gate, Ile-Ife, Nigeria on Friday March 7 held a book review in collaboration with Indigenous associations from the Obafemi Awolowo University campus. The event which had at least 15 students, socialists and book enthusiasts in attendance commenced at about 4pm with an introduction of the organization FIGURE Workspace and Bookspace by the Project Manager, Comrade Omole Ibukun who stresses the political significance of a space a low-cost solar-powered workspace for students that can bring them in contact with books about alternative political views that are not often taught in schools. He emphasized the need for a new generation of activists and introduced the book under review—Climate Imperialism in Africa by Comrade Kola Ibrahim.
Comrade Kola Ibrahim (who is also a researcher and an organizer at the Democratic Socialist Movement, Osun State) noted the political nature of environmentalism, and warned that the climate challenges facing the Niger Delta could soon emerge in the Southwest. He criticized Segilola, an gold-mining company in Osun State, for generating over $300 million in two years while compensating affected communities with a meager ₦400,000. He further condemned imperialism’s role in climate destruction, and argued that even slight temperature increases fuel disasters worldwide.
Kola Ibrahim drew attention to disparities in climate crisis responses, citing how 600+ Northerners who died in recent floods received no insurance or relief, unlike victims of the California wildfires. He pointed out that advanced countries, the biggest polluters, accumulate massive wealth while poor nations bear the brunt of climate change.
He concluded with a recommendation to break away from capitalism with a socialist government control of the resources of the country to be managed in a non-extractive manner.
Various indigenous student associations shared their concerns about mining extraction.
Ilesha Students Association (FISU) – Ayeni Adedayo
Adedayo noted the devastating impact of gold mining operations in Ijesha land, particularly by Segilola and Chinese mining companies. He lamented the decline of Ifewara’s agricultural productivity and the transformation of Ayeso into a wasteland, which is dangerously close to a correctional facility. He proposed converting the site into a vocational training center for prisoners instead of allowing further pollution. He also called for stricter environmental protection measures and harsh penalties for violators.
Niger Delta represented by Imo State Students Association – Comrade Kelechi
Kelechi spoke on the exploitation of the Niger Delta’s natural gas resources, stating that cult groups are being used to forcibly evict Indigenous communities. He warned that inaction would embolden miners and their armed enforcers, and he urged collective resistance against corporate and state-backed extraction.
Ibadan Students’ Union (FIBSU) – Olushola David
David noted that while Ibadan lacks significant mineral resources, it is affected by granite mining and industrial pollution. He cited how Eleyele Lake, once a thriving fishing hub, is now heavily polluted due to industrial spills from the companies producing Ariel and WOW into Ogunpa Lake. He linked the January 2024 Ibadan explosion—which destroyed numerous properties—to an illegal mining operation led by a Malian national. He also criticized local waste disposal habits, which contribute to flooding and environmental degradation, and recommended community sensitization.
Kogi State Students’ Association (NAKOSS) – Samuel Jeremiah
Jeremiah exposed rampant illegal mining, where $815 billion has been generated from solid minerals over the past 15 years, with little benefit to the local population. He accused powerful elites of orchestrating illegal extractions instead of preventing them. He called for a strong governmental oversight structure to curb the menace and ensure that wealth from mining benefits the people.
His session was followed by a solidarity contribution from Comrade Abibat Jimoh of the Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA), who noted that the first step for any government is to make sure the present victims of mining in our communities are resettled and adequately compensated.
The session concluded with additional questions from many members of the indigenous groups, addressed by Comrade Ìbùkún on behalf of Comrade Kola Ibrahim. One important question raised the point about the narrative of imperialist miners being sold as employers of labour and benefactors of the communities they are in, and that was clarified with the fact that the employment guaranteed by the extractivists are often underemployment under the whims and caprices of foreign expatriates and the employment often put the health of the employees at risk.
Another question raised the point about giving the local government control over mining in a way that it can be used for the welfare of local communities, and this was further clarified with the thought that the proposed alternative of a socialist democratic control of all resources would be structured to imbibe the principle of participatory democracy towards redistribution for equality, in the way resources are controlled. Discussions reinforced the urgent need for environmental justice, community mobilization, and policy reforms. This event noted the intersection of climate imperialism, exploitation, and local resistance, as communities fight back against environmental degradation fueled by global and local capitalist interests. The meeting adjourned after 6 PM.
FIGURE Feminists will continue to report on these struggles and amplify the voices of those resisting environmental injustice in our communities.
Report drafted by Mayowa Oladapo and Joshua Oladepo, for FIGURE Workspace and Bookspace, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
