Green Mining: A Review and Recommendation for Reducing Environmental Risks in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria’s mining sector has contributed appreciably to national economic growth 
through revenue generation, employment creation, and enhanced access to strategic 
and precious mineral resources. Notwithstanding these benefits, conventional mining 
practices in the country are typically associated with significant environmental 
externalities. These include extensive land degradation manifested as habitat 
destruction and landscape alteration, accelerated soil erosion, contamination of 
surface and groundwater systems through the release of toxic effluents and heavy 
metals, and large-scale deforestation resulting from unregulated extraction activities. 
Such impacts collectively threaten ecosystem integrity, biodiversity sustainability, 
and long-term land productivity. This review critically evaluates the concept of green 
mining as a sustainable framework for mitigating the environmental risks associated 
with mineral resource exploitation in Nigeria. Green mining is examined as an 
integrated approach that emphasizes environmentally responsible extraction, 
efficient resource utilization, minimization of ecological footprints, and the adoption 
of cleaner production technologies throughout the mining value chain. The study 
synthesizes existing literature on green mining principles, including waste minimization, 
energy efficiency, water conservation, land reclamation, and the incorporation of 
environmentally benign processing techniques. Furthermore, the review provides 
context-specific recommendations for operationalizing green mining practices within 
the Nigerian mining sector. These include the enforcement of stricter environmental 
regulations, integration of environmental impact assessment (EIA) protocols into all 
stages of mining operations, deployment of modern low-impact extraction 
technologies, and promotion of mine closure and land rehabilitation strategies. 
Emphasis is also placed on institutional strengthening, stakeholder engagement, and 
capacity building to ensure compliance and sustainability. Overall, the study 
underscores the imperative for transitioning from conventional mining systems to 
environmentally sustainable frameworks, positioning green mining as a viable pathway 
for balancing economic development with ecological preservation in Nigeria.