FG Revokes Over 1,200 Mineral Licenses To Boost Investment In Mining Sector

The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has announced the revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will be removed from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office (MCO), include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

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

Alake explained that the revocation was prompted by the licensees’ failure to pay their annual service fees, a mandatory requirement for maintaining mining licenses.

The latest revocation increases the total number of mineral titles withdrawn under the current administration to 3,794. This figure includes 619 titles revoked for non-payment of annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

By freeing the areas previously covered by these licenses, the government expects to encourage fresh applications from investors seeking new opportunities in the mining sector.

The statement read: “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral System of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government. These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

The Minister noted that the revocation, approved following recommendations from the MCO, is intended to deter speculators and inactive investors, thereby creating space for diligent operators to contribute to sector growth.

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

He further warned that the revocation does not absolve licensees from paying their outstanding annual service fees. The list of defaulters will be forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure compliance.

“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities,” the Minister added.

In his recommendation to the Minister, Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, revealed that 1,957 initial defaulters were identified when the MCO published the intention to revoke licenses in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

The Gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to inform licensees and give them 30 days to comply, in line with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and related regulations.

Nkom explained that the delay in finalizing the revocations was due to complaints from several licensees who claimed to have paid their fees through Remita, necessitating reconciliation.

Earlier this month, the DG hinted that additional mining licenses would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitize the solid minerals sector and protect genuine investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which targets expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is crucial to ensuring compliance with the law and opening opportunities for legitimate investors.

The initiative is part of continuous reforms in the solid minerals sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, which have already shown positive results despite resistance from defaulters and their representatives.

Source: Informationng