Abstract This study investigated the perceived health effects of mining on smallholder farmers and how these influence their agricultural productivity in Osun State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 147 crop farmers from five mining communities in Atakunmosa West and Ilesa West Local Government Areas. Primary data were collected through structured interviews and analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis.Findings revealed that farmers perceived malaria (90.5%), typhoid (85.7%), and diarrhoea (84.4%) as the most prevalent health problems associated with mining activities. These illnesses were largely attributed to stagnant water from abandoned mining pits and contamination of water sources with mining-related chemicals. Skin diseases were also reported, reflecting exposure to heavy metals and unsafe water usage. The frequency of disease occurrence was highest for malaria, diarrhoea, cholera, and typhoid. Further analysis showed that more than half of the respondents (56.5%) rated the severity of mining-related health problems as high. Importantly, correlation results revealed a significant negative relationship between perceived health effects and crop yield (r = − 0.187, p = 0.023), indicating that declining health reduces farm productivity.The study concludes that mining activities in Osun State undermine both farmer health and agricultural output, threatening food security and livelihoods. It recommends targeted health interventions, safer mining practices, integration of health into agricultural extension programs, and support systems such as mechanisation and health insurance to reduce the burden of illness on smallholder farmers.
Marcus Ogunfolaju (Fri,) studied this question.