Berom Culture: Tin Mining in Jos
I struggled with whether I should even do this post cause it didn’t feel like it was really cultural. But the environment is part of our culture and I think knowing the raw materials we have in this country is important. One of the states tin is found in Nigeria is Jos!
Before this, I knew absolutely NOTHING about tin mining or what tin is even used for. Don’t judge me.
My guide and I visited a tin mining site in Jos. Tin mining is one of the things Jos is known for. To the trained eye, there is evidence of the mining around in the artificial puddles of water. Some of us would just think, “aww cute serene” lol
In the video, they explain to me the traditional way of tin mining. They dig a very deep well and one of the miners climbs to the bottom of the well to dig out the raw materials. Afterwards, they wash the raw materials to separate them. The land in Jos has tin, cobalt and other minerals.
They asked me if I would like to go into the well and I screamed, “no” and they all laughed.
For me, when people celebrate their culture, I celebrate with them. However on this occasion, the miners were very frustrated having to still do the mining the traditional way because it risks their lives when they could be provided machinery to make the work safer and more efficient.
Tin mining has been a big part of the economy of Jos for several decades. My guide told me how in colonial times, the British had many machines they used in mining tin and other raw materials in Jos. However when they left Nigeria, they buried the machinery in the huge holes they had dug in the mining process. It's honestly quite sad.
Anyway, what do you know about tin mining? Let me know in the comments!
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