By Comrade Abel Yahaya Hayas.
In Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, in the heart of Kanikon Chiefdom, beneath the red laterite soil that farmers have tilled for generations, lies a treasure trove that could power Nigeria’s transition to clean energy: vast deposits of lithium and nickel, minerals now critical to the global battery revolution and the electric vehicle industry.
Yet above ground, the story is one of stark contradiction. The same community sitting on this strategic national resource struggles without the most basic social infrastructure, no paved roads to transport their farm produce to market, erratic or non-existent electricity despite being an energy resource hub, dilapidated schools where children learn under leaking roofs, and health facilities so poorly equipped that a simple medical emergency can become a death sentence.
For the people of Kanikon, the paradox is as painful as it is obvious: their land enriches the nation, but their people remain impoverished.
The Resource Curse, Up Close
“We are not asking for the moon,” says a community leader who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing political backlash. “We are asking for what every Nigerian citizen deserves: good roads, functional schools, healthcare, and clean water. Is it too much to ask that the community providing raw materials for national development should at least have a decent road to drive on?”
The lithium and nickel deposits in Kanikon have attracted increasing national and international attention as global demand for battery minerals surges. These minerals are essential for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, and renewable energy storage systems. Nigeria, seeking to diversify its economy beyond oil, has identified solid minerals as a key sector for future growth.
Yet the communities bearing the environmental and social costs of extraction often see little of the benefits.
A Litany of Neglect
A tour of Kanikon Chiefdom reveals infrastructure gaps that would be unacceptable in any part of a country aspiring to greatness:
Roads:
The primary access roads connecting Kanikon to Kafanchan and other major towns are barely passable during the rainy season. Farmers lose tons of perishable produce annually to bad roads, while the heavy trucks that will eventually haul away lithium and nickel (if mining commences) will somehow find ways to navigate the terrain at devastating cost to local road surfaces.
Education: Primary and secondary schools in the chiefdom lack basic furniture, teaching materials, and qualified teachers. Many classrooms are makeshift structures. Parents who dream of their children becoming engineers, doctors, and leaders instead watch them struggle for basic literacy in crumbling buildings.
Healthcare: The chiefdom’s health centers are understaffed and underequipped. Pregnant women travel treacherous distances to access maternal care. Simple ailments that should be easily treatable often escalate due to lack of medical attention.
The community has recorded preventable deaths that no resource-endowed area should experience.
Water and Electricity: Pipe borne water remains a luxury. Many households rely on streams and shallow wells, some of which are contaminated.
Electricity supply is erratic where it exists at all, despite the fact that the minerals beneath their feet will eventually power energy storage systems globally.
Youth Unemployment: Despite the presence of valuable mineral resources, local youth remain largely unemployed, with no skills acquisition centers or deliberate government programs to train them for participation in the mining value chain.
A Call for Justice, Not Charity
Community stakeholders emphasize that their demand is not for handouts but for justice.
“We are not beggars, “We are stakeholders in Nigeria siking for development. Our land holds strategic minerals that will contribute to national revenue and global energy transitions. The minimum expectation is that the government, both at the state and federal levels, should ensure that the host community does not remain in the Stone Age while the rest of the nation advances.”
Hayas and other community advocates are calling for a comprehensive intervention package that includes:
Immediate road rehabilitation to open up the chiefdom for economic activity and ease the suffering of residents.
Educational infrastructure upgrade, including construction of standard classrooms, provision of learning materials, and recruitment of qualified teachers.
Equipping health facilities with essential drugs, equipment, and personnel to handle basic and emergency medical cases.
Provision of potable water through boreholes and water treatment systems.
Rural electrification to improve quality of life and support small-scale enterprises.
Skills acquisition and youth empowerment programs to prepare local indigene for employment in the mining sector and related industries.
Community Development Agreement (CDA) framework that ensures a percentage of mining revenues is plowed back into host community development, in line with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act and global best practices.
The Legal and Moral Imperative
Under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007, host communities are entitled to certain benefits, including environmental protection and community development. The recent passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which introduced host community development trusts for oil producing areas, sets a precedent that could be extended or adapted for solid mineral producing communities.
Morally, the case for intervention is even stronger. A nation cannot in good conscience extract wealth from a community while leaving its people in destitution. The global conversation around “just transition” in energy and mining demands that resource extraction should not come at the expense of host communities’ wellbeing.
What the Government Must Do
The Kaduna State Government, under Governor Uba Sani, must demonstrate that its governance extends to all parts of the state, not just the capital and major urban centers. The state Ministry of Rural and Community Development should conduct an urgent needs assessment in Kanikon Chiefdom and prioritize it in the 2024/2025 budget and development plans.
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (or its solid minerals equivalent), and the North-west Development Commission or relevant intervention agencies, must recognize Kanikon as a critical resource zone deserving of special infrastructure attention. The federal government’s commitment to mining sector development must include tangible benefits for host communities.
The National Assembly, particularly representatives from Kaduna South Senatorial District and the Jema’a/Sanga Federal Constituency, should use their legislative platforms to advocate for budgetary allocations and special intervention projects for Kanikon.
Mining Companies that will eventually operate in the area must be held to the highest standards of corporate social responsibility, with legally binding community development agreements that prioritize local content, employment, and infrastructure.
A Test of Governance
Kanikon Chiefdom is not just a local issue; it is a test of Nigeria’s commitment to equitable development and resource justice. If a community that holds the keys to Nigeria’s clean energy future cannot get a decent road or a functional health center, what does that say about the nation’s governance?
The lithium in Kanikon’s soil will power electric vehicles in Lagos, Abuja, London, and Beijing. The nickel will be part of batteries storing solar energy for cities across the world. But if the people of Kanikon continue to live in darkness, literally and figuratively, then Nigeria’s development narrative is built on exploitation, not progress.
The time for intervention is now. The Kaduna State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria must act before Kanikon becomes another cautionary tale of a resource-rich, people, poor community. The minerals under the ground belong to all Nigerians, but the dignity and development of the people above the ground is a responsibility that cannot be deferred.
By
Comrade Abel Y. Hayas is a community rights advocate and social commentator based in Kaduna State.
