President Bola Tinubu has intensified efforts to eliminate mercury use in artisanal gold mining through a nationwide advocacy and sensitisation campaign targeting schoolchildren. The President also reiterated the Federal Government's commitment to reviewing the Child Rights Act and the National Child Policy to strengthen legal protections for children.
Children's Day Celebration and Mercury Awareness Campaign
Tinubu disclosed this in Abuja during the 2026 Children's Day celebration and awareness campaign on the dangers of mercury exposure, stating that no Nigerian child should feel invisible, unheard, excluded, or forgotten. The campaign, organised under the GEF GOLD+ Nigeria Project with the theme “Future Now, Effects of Mercury: The Invisible Threat to Nigerian Children,” seeks to educate schoolchildren and communities on the health and environmental dangers associated with mercury use in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM).
President's Commitment to Child Welfare
The President, represented by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman, said the future of Nigeria is tied to the well-being and inclusion of its children. He stressed that every child deserves equal access to education, healthcare, protection, nutrition, digital opportunities, and dignity. Tinubu noted that the Federal Government had declared 2026 as the “Year of Families and Social Development” to strengthen family systems and improve child welfare across the country. He added that the administration is implementing several initiatives under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including investments in healthcare, nutrition, STEM education, youth empowerment, and child protection.
PlanetGOLD Nigeria Project Details
The advocacy programme is being implemented under the planetGOLD Nigeria Project, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), and executed by the Federal Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. Project Coordinator of planetGOLD Nigeria and Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Omotunde Adeola, said the project focuses on formalising mercury-free gold mining and reducing the health risks associated with mercury exposure.
Formalisation of Artisanal Miners
Chike Ajaero of the ASGM Department, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, said the ministry is driving a nationwide formalisation process to organise informal miners into cooperatives and clusters. Ajaero stated, “The ASGM sector releases the highest amount of mercury into the environment, which is why it is our priority. Once miners are formalised, they become easier to identify, train and integrate into the formal economy.” He noted that formalisation would improve environmental safety, reduce illegal mining activities, and increase government revenue through royalties and proper regulation.
The Technical Coordinator of planetGOLD Nigeria, Ahmed Bah Ibrahim, described the initiative as part of a global effort to reduce mercury emissions from artisanal mining activities. The campaign aims to protect children and communities from the invisible threat of mercury, ensuring a safer and healthier future for all Nigerians.
