Nigerian government revokes 1,263 mining licences

The Federal Government of Nigeria has withdrawn 1,263 mineral licences following operators’ failure to pay mandatory annual service fees.

The decision, approved by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, was disclosed on Sunday in Abuja through a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.

According to the ministry, the revoked titles include 584 exploration licences, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licences, and 470 small-scale mining licences. The move, recommended by the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), is part of ongoing reforms aimed at sanitising the solid minerals sector under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Dr. Alake explained that the affected licences would be deleted from the MCO’s electronic cadastre system, thereby opening up opportunities for new investors.

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the licence because the law allows you to return the licence if you change your mind,” he said.

He added that releasing the areas previously tied up by defaulters would attract genuine investors ready to grow the sector.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites is over,” the minister said.

Alake warned that the revocation did not absolve operators of their debt obligations. He said the ministry would forward the list of defaulters to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enforce compliance.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the licence application processes with speculative activities,” he said.

In his briefing to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, recalled that the gazette announcing the possible revocation of defaulting licences was published on June 19, 2025. He noted that 1,957 operators were initially listed, and the publication was widely circulated across MCO offices to give them 30 days to comply, in line with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and other regulations.

Tomori added that since the start of the Tinubu administration, a total of 3,794 licences have been revoked — including 619 mineral titles for defaulting on fees and 912 last year for inactivity.

PlatinumPost recalls that in August, Dr. Alake had hinted at plans to revoke over 1,000 licences to reposition the sector as a driver of Nigeria’s industrial growth and continental competitiveness.