KEY POINTS
- Gbado Ummeh village head Isah Akpu will fine parents N50,000 if their children are found at mining sites during school hours.
- He says the community agreed the measure after school-age children were increasingly taken to sites for menial work instead of class.
- A reporter saw children as young as six mining, with one 12-year-old earning about N3,000 a day, though one parent said they attend only when schools are closed.
A village head in Nasarawa State has imposed a 50,000-naira fine on parents whose children are found at mining sites during school hours, in a bid to protect their education.
Isah Akpu, the village head of Gbado Ummeh in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, announced the penalty ahead of the new school term. Moreover, he said town criers had been directed to sensitise residents across the community about the rule.
A community decision
According to Akpu, the measure followed a community meeting called over the growing involvement of school-age children in mining. Specifically, he said some parents were taking children to mining sites for menial work instead of sending them to class. Consequently, the community agreed that any parent whose child is caught at a site during school hours would face the fine.
Akpu framed the move as a stand for education. Furthermore, he warned that parents would be held responsible for children who miss class and sanctioned accordingly. Additionally, he said the practice was dragging down education standards, as some families put quick money ahead of schooling. Therefore, he insisted the community would not let children value cash over learning so early in life.
Voices from the sites
However, visits to the sites showed how deep the practice runs. At a mining site in Kodoro Ummeh, a reporter saw children, some as young as six, working alongside their parents. Specifically, 12-year-old Ibrahim Kasim said he earns about 3,000 naira a day from mining, money he uses to get by.
Still, some parents pushed back on the timing. According to Aisha Danladi, a mother of four, the children were present only because schools were out of session. Nevertheless, she said most of those at the sites had come with their parents and would not return once classes resumed.
Ultimately, the dispute captures a hard tension in mining communities. While immediate earnings tempt struggling families, the village head is betting that firm penalties can keep children in school rather than underground.
