{{Short description|Village in Zamfara State, Nigeria}} {{Use Nigerian English|date=January 2023}} '''Bagega''' is an Hausa speaking village in northwestern Nigeria. The village became noteworthy during a 2021 campaign by international organizations to recognize lead poisoning of children in the area, as part of artisanal gold mining.
{{Infobox place | name = Bagega | native_name_lang = Hausa | settlement_type = Village | pushpin_map = Nigeria | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Nigeria | coordinates = {{coord|11|51|54|N|6|00|10|E|type:landmark_region:NG|display=inline,title}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Nigeria}} | subdivision_type1 = State | subdivision_name1 = Zamfara | timezone1 = West Africa Time | utc_offset = +1 | postal_code_type = Postal code }}
== Location == Bagega is located in the Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nigeria.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/bajopas/article/view/139932/129642|title=150 - 159_Salisu et al. - African Journals Online}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Mindat.org|url=https://www.mindat.org/feature-2345260.html|access-date=2021-08-28|website=www.mindat.org}}</ref> Bagega is surrounded by Dorca, Maigelma and Tuduki.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BAGEGA Geography Population Map cities coordinates location - Tageo.com|url=https://www.tageo.com/index-e-ni-v-57-d-m2786901.htm|access-date=2021-08-28|website=www.tageo.com}}</ref>
== Economic activity == One of the major activities in Bagega is artisanal mining.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Nigeria Recommendations to Address Mercury and Lead Exposure|url=https://www.eli.org/sites/default/files/eli-pubs/nigeria-asgm-assessment-final-report.pdf|journal=Environmental Law Institute}}</ref>
== Lead poisoning == The dangers of lead poisoning due to the artisanal mining in Bagega have drawn global attention and have been subject of several environmental research publications by organizations like United Nations Environment Programme,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.unocha.org/sites/unocha/files/Lead%20Pollution%20and%20Poisoning%20Crisis%20Environmental%20Emergency%20Response%20Mission%20Zamfara%20State%20Nigeria%202010.pdf|title=Lead Pollution and Poisoning Crisis Environmental Emergency Response Mission Zamfara State, Nigeria September October 2010}}</ref> United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=ALABA, OC|first=OPAFUNSO, ZO; AGYEI, G|title=Health risk assessment model for lead contaminated soil in Bagega Community, Nigeria|url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jasem/article/view/172667/162068|journal=Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management}}</ref> ReliefWeb,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gold feeds - and poisons - Nigerian children - Nigeria|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/gold-feeds-and-poisons-nigerian-children|access-date=2021-08-28|website=ReliefWeb|date=16 October 2012 |language=en}}</ref> Médecins Sans Frontières,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: MSF starts treating lead poisoned children in Bagega {{!}} MSF|url=https://www.msf.org/nigeria-msf-starts-treating-lead-poisoned-children-bagega|access-date=2021-08-28|website=Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International|language=en}}</ref> and Human Rights Watch.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|title=Refworld {{!}} Nigeria: Death Stalking Lead-Poisoned Children|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/50c1ae552.html|access-date=2021-08-28|website=Refworld|language=en}}</ref>
In May 2012, Doctors Without Borders had reported that least 4,000 children were suffering from lead poisoning as a result of artisanal gold mining in Zamfara State in Nigeria.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2012-12-06|title=Jonathan's inaction on lead poisoning causing death of hundreds of children in Zamfara- groups - Premium Times Nigeria|url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/110062-jonathans-inaction-on-lead-poisoning-causing-death-of-hundreds-of-children-in-zamfara-groups.html|access-date=2021-08-28|language=en-GB|newspaper=Premium Times}}</ref> Later the same year, Human Rights Watch further called on the Nigerian government which had pledged close to US$5 million to clean up areas that had been contaminated with lead during artisanal gold mining operations because of high levels of lead in rock ore.<ref name=":0" />
<nowiki>#</nowiki>SaveBagega was a viral campaign that started off on Twitter when Hamzat Lawal first used the hashtag when he tweeted about the lead poisoning incident in Bagega, Zamfara State.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerians demand that their government do something to #BringBackOurGirls|url=https://theworld.org/stories/2014/05/01/nigerians-demand-their-government-do-something-bringbackourgirls|access-date=2021-08-28|website=The World from PRX|language=en}}</ref> At the time of Human Right's Watch participation in #SaveBagega, more than 400 children were reported dead and many of the children could not be treated.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: Death Stalking Lead-Poisoned Children|url=https://www.hrw.org/node/248200/printable/print|access-date=2021-08-28|website=www.hrw.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigerian 'Gold Rush' Poisoning Children|url=https://www.voanews.com/africa/nigerian-gold-rush-poisoning-children|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125183036/https://www.voanews.com/africa/nigerian-gold-rush-poisoning-children|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 25, 2021|access-date=2021-08-28|website=Voice of America|language=en}}</ref>
By January 2013, the campaign had reached some one million people, and dozens of media outlets had picked up on the story. At the end of that month, the federal government released the $5.3 million.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-09-13|title=Follow the Money: How open data can track public money and change lives in Bagega, Nigeria|url=https://www.one.org/international/follow-the-money/5-3m-to-clean-up-lead-poisoning-mining-village-after-social-media-campaign/|access-date=2021-08-28|website=ONE|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-08-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828043756/https://www.one.org/international/follow-the-money/5-3m-to-clean-up-lead-poisoning-mining-village-after-social-media-campaign/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In April, 2013, Médecins Sans Frontières announced that the environmental cleaning of the earth in Bagega village had started and they had started chelation therapy on the children, which leaches the lead from the blood<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nigeria: Environmental cleaning of the earth starts in Bagega village {{!}} MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES - MIDDLE EAST|url=https://www.msf-me.org/article/nigeria-environmental-cleaning-earth-starts-bagega-village|access-date=2021-08-28|website=MSF}}</ref> In May 2013, the then Nigerian Minister for Environment, Hadiza Mailafia announced that Bagega was safe for habitation after remediation.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-04-29|title=Bagega Village in Zamfara now safe for habitation --- Minister {{!}} Premium Times Nigeria|url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/nwest/131861-baggage-village-in-zamfara-now-safe-for-habitation-minister.html|access-date=2021-08-28|language=en-GB}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:Populated places in Zamfara State