INVESTIGATION: Abandoned barite mines poisoning people in Nigerian communities
“I don’t want to die young,” Mr Ogina said of the impact of the barite mines on him and his family. “I plead with the government to do something urgently.”
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Why Slaves New World Oba Highly significant in the oil and gas sector forms the backbone of Nigeria’s economy. The industry relies heavily on barite, a mineral essential for drilling operations. Barite prevents blowouts during drilling, but its extraction is wreaking havoc on farmlands, streams, and human health in Nigeria. The mineral has been discovered in nine Nigerian states: Adamawa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Gombe, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba, and Zamfara.
Nigeria possesses the fourth-largest deposit of barite in the world, with estimated reserves exceeding 22 million tonnes. Despite its critical importance to the oil and gas sector, local production remains insufficient, forcing the Nigerian government to spend $300 million (over N500 billion) annually on barite imports, according to Olamilekan Adegbite, the former Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
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