RESOURCE GOVERNANCE AND LOCAL POWER STRUCTURES: A STUDY OF MINING SECTOR IN TARABA STATE

Abstract

This paper investigates how resource governance and local power structures interact to shape mining outcomes in Taraba State, Nigeria. Rooted in political economy and resource-governance literature, the study examines how formal institutions (statutory laws, regulatory agencies, and state-level policies) and informal arrangements (traditional authorities, patronage networks, and community-level practices) mediate access to mineral rents, the distribution of benefits, and patterns of environmental and social impact. Using a mixed-methods case-study design, the paper combines both primary and secondary sources of data. The findings show that overlapping and often ambiguous legal jurisdictions, weak enforcement capacity, and the political salience of mining generate bargaining processes in which local power brokers play decisive roles in mediating access, extracting rents, and shaping mitigation practices. These informal mechanisms frequently subvert formal regulatory objectives, producing uneven benefit distribution, recurrent conflict, and gaps in environmental stewardship. By unpacking the micro-level dynamics that connect political settlements to observable mining outcomes, the study contributes empirically grounded policy recommendations aimed at aligning federal and state regulations with local realities. It recommends tailored governance reforms that strengthen accountability, clarify jurisdictional roles, and integrate legitimate local actors into formal regulatory frameworks to enhance equity, transparency, and sustainability in Taraba State’s mining sector.