Niger State Governor Umaru Bago recently claimed that a UNICEF report projected that by 2027, some areas of the state would have no male children in Grade 7/JSS1 because children had left the classrooms to engage in artisanal mining. Mr Bago made the statement during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme on 20 September.
The interview came amid public concern over the deaths of 37 suspected artisanal miners, who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Niger State. The suspected miners were arrested during anti-illegal mining operations in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of the state on 15 and 16 September.
According to Channels Television, 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were taken into custody, while 37 later died. The circumstances surrounding the deaths are under investigation. Speaking about the impact of mining on communities, Mr Bago mentioned that gold mining in Niger State has become habitual.
PREMIUM TIMES decided to fact-check this claim because of the source, the alleged author, the media outlet’s influence, and the topic’s relevance to public interest. Verification was done by contacting UNICEF Nigeria to establish whether it had conducted or commissioned a study on the impact of artisanal mining on children’s school attendance in Shiroro and Munya LGAs in Niger State.
UNICEF Nigeria responded through its Communication Specialist, Samuel Kaalu, stating that it had not conducted or commissioned such a study. However, UNICEF funded a study titled “The Impact of Insecurity on Access to Education in Katsina, Zamfara and Niger States,” which covered Shiroro, Munya and Rafi LGAs and examined the effects of insecurity on school attendance and continuity of learning.
The report, published in July 2025, was prepared for the Ministries of Education of Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states, with funding from UNICEF. Its disclaimer states that while UNICEF funded the study, the views, interpretations and conclusions expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of UNICEF or the state ministries of education.
The report examines how insecurity, including conflict, school attacks, banditry and communal clashes, has affected access to education and continuity of learning in the three states. Shiroro is among the three Niger State LGAs covered by the study, alongside Munya and Rafi. The report also discusses mining activities in Niger State in the context of conflict and disruption to education.
Key points
- Governor Bago's claim that a UNICEF report predicted no male child would be in Grade 7/JSS1 in Shiroro and Munya LGAs by 2027 is false.
- UNICEF did not conduct or commission a study on the impact of artisanal mining on children’s school attendance in Shiroro or other LGAs in Niger State.
- UNICEF funded a study on the impact of insecurity on access to education in Katsina, Zamfara and Niger States, which included Shiroro and Munya LGAs.
