Assessment of Soil Quality Degradation in Mining Communities of Plateau State, North Central Nigeria

This study assesses soil quality degradation associated with tin and columbite mining activities in the Jos Plateau mining communities of Plateau State, located in Nigeria's North Central geopolitical zone. Artisanal and small-scale mining on the Jos Plateau has a century-long history and has left extensive tracts of disturbed and contaminated land that are no longer productive for agriculture, creating food security challenges for affected communities. Using a descriptive comparative design, soil samples were collected from active mining areas, post-mining wastelands of varying ages (5, 10, and 20 years post-mining), reclaimed agricultural plots, and undisturbed reference woodland in Bukuru, Barkin Ladi, and Bassa local government areas. Samples were analysed for pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, available phosphorus, heavy metals (Pb, Sn, Cd, As), texture, and bulk density. A soil quality index integrating all measured parameters was calculated. Findings revealed that active mining soils had a soil quality index of 0.12 out of 1.0 (severely degraded), compared to 0.78 for undisturbed woodland. Twenty-year post-mining wastelands showed some natural recovery but remained at 0.31. Reclaimed plots scored 0.45, indicating partial restoration of quality through organic matter addition. Tin and lead concentrations in active mining zones exceeded Nigerian environmental standards by factors of 8 and 12 respectively. The study recommends integrated soil reclamation programmes combining physical grading, organic matter applications, and heavy metal remediation for prioritised Jos Plateau mining legacy sites. Keywords: soil quality degradation, mining, Plateau State, heavy metals, soil reclamation.