The Federal Government has revoked 1,263 mineral licenses across the country in a decisive move to sanitise the solid minerals sector and enforce compliance with existing laws.
The announcement was made on Sunday in Abuja by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori.
According to the minister, the affected titles include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases. The revoked licenses will be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System (eMC+) portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office (MCO).
Alake explained that the revocation was approved following recommendations from the MCO, after the companies involved failed to comply with the mandatory payment of annual service fees.
He said the measure is part of the ministry’s broader strategy to weed out speculators and unserious operators from the mining sector, thereby creating opportunities for genuine, financially capable investors.
“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for speculative purposes is over. Financially capable and industrious businessmen who are ready to work should have access to sites,” the minister declared.
The government hopes the clampdown will boost transparency, efficiency, and productivity in Nigeria’s mining industry.
