Managing Environmental Compliance as an Entrepreneurial Challenge in Nigeria’s Artisan Mining Sector

This study examines how entrepreneurs in Nigeria's artisan and small-scale mining sector manage environmental compliance requirements as an operational and business development challenge, investigating the tension between regulatory obligations and the operational realities of resource-constrained mining enterprises in Zamfara, Plateau, and Nasarawa States. Artisan mining is a significant livelihood enterprise for hundreds of thousands of Nigerians but is associated with severe environmental damage including mercury contamination, deforestation, and river system pollution. The regulatory framework governing environmental compliance for artisan miners has been strengthened in recent years but its implementation remains contested. The study employs a qualitative research design, conducting semi-structured interviews with 20 artisan mine operators and 10 regulatory officials from the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and State Environmental Protection Agencies. Thematic analysis was applied. Findings reveal that the majority of artisan miners view environmental compliance primarily as a cost imposition rather than a business risk management tool, partly because enforcement is inconsistent and the environmental damage costs are externalised to communities rather than internalised by enterprises. Operators who have engaged with international minerals due diligence frameworks for export certification show more proactive environmental management practices. Small-scale operators who form cooperatives are better positioned to meet compliance requirements through cost sharing. Recommendations include incentive-based compliance frameworks that reward demonstrable environmental improvement, and the development of a subsidised environmental compliance support programme for artisan mining cooperatives. Keywords: artisan mining, environmental compliance, entrepreneurship, Zamfara, regulatory management.