The Nigerian Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has terminated 1,263 mineral licenses due to non-compliance with annual service fee payments.
These licenses will be removed from the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office’s Electronic Mining Cadastral System.
The revoked licenses comprise 584 exploration permits, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry permits, and 470 small-scale mining leases.
Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, announced the decision in a statement released by his media aide, Segun Tomori, in Abuja on Sunday. The minister noted that the revocation targets companies that failed to meet their financial obligations, aiming to deter speculative practices and attract serious investors.
This action increases the total number of revoked mineral titles under the current administration to 3,794, including 619 licenses revoked for unpaid fees and 912 for inactivity in the previous year.
The minister emphasised that this move will open up opportunities for new investors by freeing previously held areas.
He stated, “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 also clarified that the revocation does not absolve licensees of their outstanding debts, which will be reported to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission for enforcement. 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.”
Simon Nkom, Director-General of the MCO, revealed that 1,957 licenses were initially flagged for revocation, as published in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025. The MCO distributed the gazette nationwide to inform licensees and allow a 30-day compliance period, as stipulated by the Minerals and Mining Act 2007. Delays in finalising the recommendation stemmed from reconciling payments made by some licensees via the Remita platform.
Nkom earlier indicated that further license revocations are part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector, ensuring only genuine investors operate. These reforms, initiated under the Tinubu administration, aim to enhance compliance and protect the sector from fraudulent activities, with significant positive outcomes despite resistance from defaulters.
