This Book of Stories captures the outcomes and lived experiences from Centre LSD’s project, Strengthening Civic Engagement and Advocacy for Effective Natural Resource Governance in Nigeria, implemented across Ebonyi, Ekiti, and Taraba States between 2016 and 2017. Supported by OSIWA, the project aimed to amplify civil society voices, formalize artisanal mining practices, and hold government and corporate actors accountable within the solid minerals sector.

The publication highlights how community engagement, training, and advocacy transformed mining governance in these states. It documents the formation and registration of artisanal mining cooperatives, improved dialogue between miners and government, formalization of operations with the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD), and the negotiation of community development agreements (CDAs) that led to tangible community benefits—such as employment, scholarships, and infrastructure development.

Through 38 detailed stories, the report reveals the challenges faced by mining communities: environmental degradation, poverty, poor market access, unsafe mining practices, and lack of state involvement. It also features lessons on building trust with miners, leveraging civil society networks, and advocating for policy reform using the #DoMiningRight principles.