Radiological hazard assessment and radiogenic heat production of Keffi and its environs were carried out to outline the implications of unregulated mining activities and evaluate the potency of geothermal energy resources within the study area. Airborne gamma-ray spectrometry data were employed to map the spatial distribution trend of radiological hazard parameters and radiogenic heat production (RHP). The essential radiological hazard and geothermal energy parameters evaluated include annual dose rate, radium equivalent, annual effective dose equivalent ( \(\text{AEDE}\) indoor and outdoor), radiological hazard ( \(\text{RH},\) internal and external), gamma and alpha indices ( \({I}_{\gamma , } {I}_{\alpha })\) , annual gonadal dose equivalent, and excess lifetime cancer risk (AGDE and ELCR). A general statistical average of annual dose rate was estimated as 76.36 \({\text{nGyh}}^{-1}\) , slightly above the global standard value of 59.0 \({\text{nGyh}}^{-1}\) . Other parameters such as \({\text{AEDE}}_{\text{in}}, {\text{AEDE}}_{\text{out}}, {\text{RH}}_{\text{int}}, {\text{RH}}_{\text{ext}}, {\text{I}}_{\gamma , },\text{ and }{\text{I}}_{\alpha }\) were evaluated and estimated to be below the global average of 1.0 value. However, the AGDE and ELCR were estimated to be above the acceptable thresholds. Regions mapped with high radioelement concentrations (Uke and Karshi in the NW, Arabishi in the SW, and Kuri in SE) also generated high values of radiological parameters and RHP. Moderate to low concentration mappings also corresponded to low estimates of radiological parameters and RHP at the central and eastern regions, respectively. Peak values of RHP (> 3.0 μWm−3) recorded at Uke (NW), Arabishi (SW), and Kuri (SE) were slightly below the exploitable geothermal source threshold of 4.0 μWm−3. Despite abnormal ranges in annual dose rate, AGDE, and ELCR, no cases of resulting diseases such as cancer have been widely reported. It can therefore be inferred that Keffi and its surrounding areas are radiologically safe.
