The colonial regime exploited the region of Jos; an unimaginable amount of tin was dug up and shipped to England. Liverpool for instance, was built with tin from Jos. As a result, huge mountains of earth were left behind and large craters can be seen all over Jos. Now the land is being reclaimed and filled it, but it’s all done by hand and is a lengthy process.
Miners search for a sandy layer which could be anywhere from 20 - 100 feet. This Is all done by hand, tunnels are built underground and sand brought to the surface to be washed. There are often casualties.
Raw tin is unusually heavy. This small amount is around 500grams and costs about N1000 (2-3 euros). The amount of labour that goes into processing this is unbelievable. Miners risk their lives, because mining is kind of like a lottery. You invest your time and if you strike it big then you’re one of the lucky ones. People have become very wealthy through mining, putting themselves and family through education, building homes, gaining financial independence, etc. So they miners chase this dream
Man made lakes are formed after mining. Fish get washed into these lakes due to heavy rains. Residents fish in these lakes but don’t realise the risks ; there’s a very high heavy metal content which could cause health issues over time like heavy metal poisoning.
These cactuses are symbolic. They’re regarded as boundaries to keep out unwanted Intruders and protect the land from strangers. They’re incredibly handy and resilient, very difficult to kill
