{
  "id": 9515243,
  "title": "Nigeria: How Poverty Is Pushing Plateau Youths, Children Into Hazardous Work",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/nigeria-how-poverty-is-pushing-plateau-youths-children-into-hazardous",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T07:38:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "AllAfrica",
    "slug": "allafrica",
    "url": "https://allafrica.com/stories/202609240016.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Plateau State, Nigeria, poverty is compelling young men and teenagers into hazardous mining work. Young men Abdullahi Garba, 16, and Sule Garba, 14, descend into narrow, unfortified pits in search of tin. Faced with insufficient income from menial jobs, they see mining as a way to secure school fees. Abdullahi told PREMIUM TIMES that without money for fees, returning to school is difficult. Similar stories of desperation are emerging in other mineral-rich parts of Nigeria. On September 17, 37 people died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Minna, Niger State, during operations against illegal mining. The victims were aged between 14 and 18 years, indicating children among the deceased. The incident has sparked a federal investigation and prompted the suspension of several officials. In Taraba State, a mining pit collapse trapped more than 20 people, including women and children, on Thursday. Five bodies were recovered, and rescue operations continue. These tragedies highlight the dangers of artisanal mining and the circumstances driving young people into it. In Plateau, artisanal mining remains an important source of livelihood for those with few alternatives, attracting young people previously engaged in casual labor or petty trading. However, the risks involved are increasingly alarming.",
  "summary": "[Premium Times] Deep inside the forest behind the New Government House, Jos, young men and teenagers descend into narrow, unfortified pits, digging through layers of soil in search of traces of tin.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Premium Times",
        "title": "SPECIAL REPORT: How poverty is pushing Plateau youths, children into hazardous work",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/special-report-how-poverty-is-pushing-plateau-youths-children-into",
        "published": "2026-09-24T04:00:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}