NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING, ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS, AND CONFLICT IN NIGER

The workshop, organized by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) and funded by the UK's FCDO, brought together 52 stakeholders to address the informality of Niger's ASGM sector. Key discussions focused on the lack of reliable production statistics, environmental degradation, and the security risks posed by the illicit use of explosives and chemicals. Participants identified a need to lower high fixed fees for marketing approval and export taxes to encourage formalization. The report also highlights the socio-economic dynamics in the Agadez region, where 85% of miners work for employers rather than on their own account. The workshop concluded with a set of recommendations to strengthen state presence on mining sites, simplify administrative procedures, and create non-violent conflict management mechanisms.

• Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Niger is largely informal, resulting in insignificant tax revenues and a lack of reliable state statistics regarding the quantities of gold produced and marketed.
• The ASGM sector is associated with significant environmental damage and negative social impacts, including the use of mercury, the emission of silica dust from manual crushing, and increases in child labour, drug use, and prostitution.
• Illicit financial flows from Africa are estimated to reach USD 50 billion, with an estimate that terrorists mined USD 2 billion worth of gold between 2016 and 2019 across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
• In the Agadez region, ASGM is characterized by high levels of internal migration driven by poverty, with 85% of miners working for employers and only 15% working on their own account.
• Participants identified high tax burdens as a barrier to formalization, specifically recommending the reduction of the 6% export tax and the 3,000,000 African Financial Community Francs (CFA) fixed fee for marketing approval.
• The workshop identified 16 good practices for ASGM management, including the creation of gold mining corridors, the establishment of a mining police force, the mapping of sites, and the regulation of explosives and chemicals.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2022). NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING, ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS, AND CONFLICT IN NIGER. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-06/national-workshop-asm-niger-meeting-report-en.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING, ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS, AND CONFLICT IN NIGER. 2022. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-06/national-workshop-asm-niger-meeting-report-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING, ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS, AND CONFLICT IN NIGER |date=2022 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-06/national-workshop-asm-niger-meeting-report-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2022national, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ARTISANAL AND SMALL-SCALE MINING, ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS, AND CONFLICT IN NIGER}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2022}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2022-06/national-workshop-asm-niger-meeting-report-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }