Evaluation of Mine Site Rehabilitation Standards and Community Acceptance in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria

Mine site rehabilitation in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria, occurs against a backdrop of deep community mistrust rooted in decades of environmental damage from tin mining. This study evaluates the technical standards of mine rehabilitation works and the extent of community acceptance of rehabilitation outcomes at four restored mine sites in Plateau State. A participatory evaluation approach was used, combining technical assessments of vegetation cover, soil productivity, topographic stability, and drainage restoration with structured interviews and focus groups involving community members and traditional leaders. Community acceptance was measured using a bespoke Likert-scale satisfaction instrument developed through a stakeholder consultation process. Technical assessment reveals that two of the four sites have achieved satisfactory vegetation establishment and topographic recontouring, while the remaining two show minimal progress beyond initial topsoil placement. Community acceptance scores are uniformly low, even at technically adequate sites, due to persistent distrust of mining companies and perceptions that local priorities were not incorporated into rehabilitation plans. The disconnect between technical compliance and community satisfaction highlights the insufficiency of purely technical rehabilitation standards. Recommendations include the adoption of community-defined rehabilitation success criteria, participatory monitoring committees, and independent third-party verification of rehabilitation milestones. Keywords: mine rehabilitation, community acceptance, Plateau State, participatory evaluation, tin mining.