Mining plays an important role in the socio-economic development of many countries worldwide. However, in
spite of its remarkable contribution towards development, mining can also result in some adverse impacts,
especially when carried out without proper planning. In this study, the economic, socio-cultural, and biophysical
benefits and costs of black granite quarrying were investigated. Two questionnaires, one targeting quarry workers
and the other targeting villagers around quarry sites, together with personal interviews with key informants, were
used as data gathering instruments. Among the benefits realized in the study area due to black granite quarrying
include employment creation, infrastructural development, and revenue generation. Black granite quarrying has
also brought with it some costs to the study area including, inter alia, the creation of labor bottlenecks for peasant
agriculture, encroachment onto limited prime agricultural land, and the lowering of water tables. Quarrying has
also induced some school dropouts, while HIV/AIDS prevalence has reportedly increased with the establishment
of the quarries. The study recommends that full Environmental Impact Assessments should be carried out
immediately in order to fully identify and enhance the benefits of black granite quarrying and reduce the costs.