FG defends revocation of mining licences, accuses firm of peddling false claims

The Federal Government has defended its decision to revoke several mineral titles over unpaid statutory fees, accusing a mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, of spreading false claims about Nigeria’s mining sector.

The allegation was made in a statement issued on Sunday by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, who said the company was attempting to discredit ongoing reforms in the sector.

Tomori stated that the ministry became aware of plans by the firm to sponsor negative publicity abroad, following claims published in a report titled “Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.”

He noted that the ministry had previously responded to the publication through an article written by the Special Adviser to the Minister, Kehinde Bamigbetan, titled “In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons.”

According to Tomori, the government’s response exposed what it described as misleading claims allegedly promoted by individuals, including Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald, regarding mining operations in Nigeria.

He added that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, has no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium.

Tomori explained that under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007, mining licences cannot be granted directly to foreign companies.

The ministry said the dispute arose from the revocation of mineral titles belonging to Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company linked to Davis, an Australian national. The titles were revoked after the company allegedly failed to pay statutory annual service fees despite receiving due notice.

According to the ministry, the unpaid fees amounted to ₦2.494 billion for mineral titles 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML, and 40533ML, covering the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.

The statement dismissed claims that the licences were withdrawn in favour of a Chinese firm as “a complete fabrication.”

Tomori alleged that Davis operates through several companies, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd, and Iron Ore Mining Ltd, through which he acquired multiple licences.

He said some operators obtain licences without undertaking actual mining activities, a practice the ministry said contributes to illegal mining and prevents genuine investors from developing the sector.

“The nefarious activities of the past that stunted the growth of the mining sector will no longer be tolerated by the Tinubu administration,” Tomori said, adding that reforms introduced by the government have begun attracting growing international interest.

He urged Nigerians and the international community to disregard what he described as attempts by “discredited individuals” to undermine the government’s efforts to restore transparency and order in the mining industry.

The Federal Government, he added, remains committed to transforming the mining sector into a major contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.

Tomori also said Nigeria remains open to serious investors willing to operate within the framework of its laws, noting that the government has introduced incentives, including tax waivers on imported mining equipment and full repatriation of profits, to encourage responsible investment.