INVESTIGATING THE REASONS FOR QUARRY SHUT-DOWN IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF AFRI-MINE QUARRY AND JOLEX CONSTRUCTION

Background: Quarry operation is one of the surface mining activity carried out in Nigeria. It involves different stages of operation such as blasting, crushing and lots more but due to financial loss, many quarry business has shut down while very few is still in operation. This research aim at identifying the reason(s) behind the incessant folding up of quarry business in Nigeria through comparative study between Afrimine Quarry and Jolex Construction. Results: Data was obtained through interactive interview with the staff in the quarry and after collation and data analysis, the following results were observed. Afrimine sells her granite within the price range of N3,300 to N5,200 for sizes of 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch, 3/8 inch, stone dust and makes a monthly profit of N36, 484,859.375 with a total volume of 15,000 tons per month and a unit price of N2,291.61/ton while Jolex Construction sells her granite within the prices of N7,500 to N8,000 and makes a monthly profit of N58, 295,000 at total volume of 9,000 tons per month with a unit price of N1022.78/ton. Conclusions: Quarry business is quite capital intensive but with the right managerial scheme, it can be a very profiting business.