Abuja, 20 May 2019 – In Nigeria, not less than 850,690 people are at risk of mercury poisoning. In at least 12 Nigerian States, particularly Niger, Osun and Zamfara, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is one of their key source of income generation; however, ASGM is also the main source of the largest release of mercury emissions around the world.
The others are Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Kwara, Borno, Kaduna, Jigawa, and Yobe States and Federal Capital Territory.