Artisanal Gold Mining and Local Socio-Economic Development in Ife Land, Southwest, Nigeria: A situational Analysis

Abstract

The article examines the effects of artisanal gold mining on cash crop plantations and safe coexistence in Ife land, Nigeria. It hypothesized that artisanal gold mining inadvertently encourages communities to sell their land cheaply to gold merchants and forego agricultural food production. These were with the view to advancing knowledge about how artisanal gold mining impedes local socio-economic development in Ife land. It utilizes mixed method of quantitative and qualitative research designs. Results showed widespread damage of cash crops, relocation of local indigenous cocoa investors from mining communities due to insecurity, and lands were sold cheaply out of fear of losing them to gold merchants, thus, jeopardizing food security in mining communities. It concludes that artisanal gold mining is progressively devastating local socio-economic development of mining communities in Ife land, Southwest Nigeria.