Illegal gypsum mining in Yobe denies govt revenue, harms humans, animals, environment

In the sprawling arid lands of Gashuwa in Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State, Abdullahi Adamu, a 46-year-old man from Gombe State, spends his days mining gypsum, unaware of the revenue loss his work causes the Nigerian government. Like many other miners, Mr Adamu works long hours and earns a modest living from selling the mineral for N350 per 25kg.

Although gypsum is primarily used in construction and agriculture, its industrial byproducts, like phosphogypsum from phosphate…