Lived experiences of small-scale gold miners on health impacts: photovoice study in northern Nigeria

Background

Across 86+ countries, artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a major livelihood option for 49 million people in low- and middle-income countries (1) but poses health and environmental risks. A scoping review of studies from Asia, South America, and West Africa found fragmented, donor-driven interventions, lacking miners’ voices. My research question is “What are the lived experiences of artisanal and small-scale miners on ASGM, and what themes emerge in their narratives on the health and well-being impacts of ASGM?” This work forms part of a doctoral thesis to co-develop contextually appropriate guidelines with multisectoral stakeholders to promote safer and more sustainable mining practices in Nigeria.

Methods

Photovoice (2) at four Nigerian schist-belt sites. 36 miners (28M,8F; aged 32-39; mining ≥1 year) were recruited. Participants engaged in a five-stage photovoice process, including orientation, guided image production, thematic exploration, and critical dialogue. Using smartphones, they took 108 photos, followed by SHOWeD-facilitated semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis, with a theme-by-image matrix to enable site comparisons.

Results

Eight themes emerged: occupational hazards; environmental degradation; precarious labour; infrastructural deficits; poor health access; toxic exposures; governance failures & harassment; gendered vulnerabilities. ASGM harms are structurally driven, not behavioural. Miners know risks but face a livelihood trade-off – economic need compelling hazardous work. Water, sanitation and hygiene deficits, limited healthcare access, and gendered labour inequities compound harms.

Conclusions

Structural drivers of ASGM harms demand community-embedded, miner-informed policies, developed with multisectoral stakeholders, addressing local risk perceptions and safety barriers.

References: 1. Hruschka 2023; 2. Wang & Burris 1997; 3. Obaje 2009; 4. Braun & Clarke 2006.

Key messages

• Artisanal and small-scale gold miners face environmental and health hazards, yet prioritise survival over safety due to structural poverty, not ignorance.

• Photovoice on miners’ lived experiences reveals how gender, water, sanitation and hygiene gaps, and governance failures shape miners’ health—urging community-led policies over fragmented aid.