EFFECT OF MINING POLICIES AND REGULATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

This paper discusses how mining policies and regulations impact environmental sustainability and illegal mining activities in Atakunmosa East and West Local Government Areas of Osun State. The study evaluates the correlation between the perception of mining policies and the real environment outcomes using linear regression analysis. The results indicate that there is a huge gap between the perceived significance of mining regulations and their actual influence on environmental sustainability. Despite respondents' high regard for the role of mining policies in promoting sustainability, the regression analysis indicates that mining policies and regulations have no statistically significant effect on environmental outcomes. The weak correlation (R = 0.001, R² = 0.000) and high p-values (p = 0.993) suggest that the current regulatory framework does not account for variance in environmental sustainability and illegal activities. This disconnect is blamed on poor enforcement, poor implementation of policies and poor operational capacity. The paper also notes the existence of informal mining practices and how current policies have failed to curtail the practice. The study suggests the need to enhance policy implementation, the capacity of regulatory bodies, alternative livelihoods, land rehabilitation, and community participation in monitoring and reporting illegal mining activities based on the findings. These are important steps in closing the gap between perception and reality of policies, and thereby making mining more sustainable in the region.