Antang is a village and district in Jema'a Local Government Area, southern Kaduna State, Middle Belt, Nigeria. It is located 163.93 km from the state capital, Kaduna.[2][3] The postal code of the area is 801.[4][5] The village is 1,850 ft (563.88 m) above sea level.[6]

Antang
Anta, Antan
Village and district
Antang is located in Nigeria
Antang
Antang
Coordinates: 09°26′54″N 08°27′37″E / 9.44833°N 8.46028°E / 9.44833; 8.46028[1]
Country Nigeria
StateKaduna State
LGAJema'a
WardGidan Waya
Elevation
563.88 m (1,850.00 ft)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (WAT)
ClimateAw

Geography

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Antang is located southwest of the Jos Plateau between latitude 9°15'N and 9°36'N and longitude 8° and 8°10'E. The district is approximately 23 km2. It has a relatively flat topography, with its northeastern side about 549 m above sea level in altitude. The area largely belongs to the Precambrian age, with igneous and metamorphic rocks (gneiss and schist). Due to the high level of its soil's drainage and oxidation, it looks reddish. The district is characterized by a tropical climate with temperatures ranging between 22°C to 24°C all year round and a mean annual rainfall of between 1,000 mm and 1,750 mm. The district has a vegetation made up of transitional woodland, consisting of species like Oliverii, Domana, Vitex, Diospyros, Mespiloformus, Khaya, Grandiflora, and Albizia Africana, and Daniela.[7]

Mining

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A study in 2014 has shown that there had been a high rate of illegal mining activities in Antang, and surrounding villages like Nisama, Kanufi, and Atuku. The same study stated that this illicit mining enormously increased since the establishment of mining companies in the area in the 1960s to mine prospected gems such as sapphire, tourmaline, aquamarine, amethyst, topaz, ruby, and zircon.[7] Mining companies continued operating in the area including other places as Gidan Waya, Godogodo, Golgofa, Kafanchan, and Dangoma up until the late 1980s when the European miners left. Before that, tens of Senegalese, Malian, and Gambian migrants worked side-by-side with indigenous populations in such mines. As of 2019, the mining of tin ore in the area was ongoing.[8]

Another study in 2021 revealed that mining activities by artisans around the Antang area have brought about the contamination of its groundwater. The laboratory result of the control samples collected from nearby Gidan Waya shows that pollutants were in higher concentration in the water from Antang and the environs compared to that from Gidan Waya. These pollutants in the underground water were found to have a long-term effect on the health of the inhabitants of the area, although many of the collected sample variables measured still surpass the acceptable limit set by the National Standard of Nigeria and by the World Health Organization.[6]

Fulani terror attacks and bandit raids

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Antang and nearby areas of Southern Kaduna had since about 2016 remained under the radar of Fulani attacks as part of the larger Southern Kaduna genocide.[9][10]

The area is also said to be prone to bandit raids. This is partly due to the poor road infrastructure linking Southern Kaduna to Jos.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Antan, Gidan Waya, Jema'A, Kaduna State, Nigeria". mindat.org. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "Distance Anta → Kaduna". Test Distance. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  3. ^ "Antan, Nigeria". Places in the World. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  4. ^ "Post Offices - with map of LGA". NIPOST. Archived from the original on 2009-10-07. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  5. ^ "Antang, Jama'a - Postcode - 801147". NigeriaPostcode. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Vivan, E.L.; Ali, A.Y.; Obasi, M.T.; Emmanuel, J.N.; Daloeng, H.M.; Yakubu, C.G.; Watson, S.S.; and Yakubu, M.T. (December 2021). "Effect of artisanal mining on groundwater quality in Antang District, Jema'al Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria". Bayero Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences. 13 (1). ResearchGate: 169–177. doi:10.4314/bajopas.v13i1.24. Retrieved August 31, 2024.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ a b Yunana, M.A.; Banta, A.L. (2014). "Socio-Economic Effects of Illegal Mining Activities in Antang District of Jema'a Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria" (PDF). Journal of Environmental Sciences and Resources Management. 6 (2). Cenresin Publications: 12–14. ISSN 2277-0097. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  8. ^ "Tin mining brings peace to Kafanchan communities". September 11, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  9. ^ "Dangerous Area in Kaduna, Nigeria a Virtual Ghost Town; 13 More Deaths Discovered". Morning Star News. October 26, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  10. ^ "Kaduna communities sign peace pact". PM News. October 25, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  11. ^ Ogunjobi, Gabriel (November 9, 2021). "Passengers Fear Bandits as Overturned Tanker Halt Traffic on Kaduna-Jos Expressway". Foundation for Investigative Journalism. Retrieved August 31, 2024.