Artisanal gold miners in the Niger state of Nigeria are asking the Muhammadu Buhari government to help them operate under conditions that allow them to take better care of the environment and contribute to the local economy.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, the Chairman of the Association of Gold Miners in the Chanchaga Local Government, Michael Abida, said that his group has asked authorities to organize the local miners professionally.

In detail, the miners want the government to help them create and join cooperative societies, as well as issue them licences, provide equipment and train them on modern mining techniques. They say that such support would, in turn, help them reduce their environmental footprint and prompt them to pay taxes.

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