Nigeria, May 15 -- For years, communities in Shiroro have depended on the "Onato" stream for drinking, cooking and other household needs. This was before mining started polluting the water. Residents say they cannot determine who is operating nearby mining sites or whether the operators are licensed, exposing wider concerns about access to Nigeria's digital mining oversight systems.

The stream, once clear, now runs brown. A few metres away, excavators roar to life as artisanal miners claw deep into the earth. There are four mining sites in Farin Doki and Ajata Aboki, both in the Shiroro area, where residents relied on the Onato stream.

Locals told PREMIUM TIMES that two of the mines are managed by indigenous artisanal miners, while the ...