Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has cancelled 1,263 mineral licenses due to operators failing to pay their annual service fees as required by law.
The announcement was made in Abuja on Sunday, September 21, through a statement from the minister’s media aide, Segun Tomori, following recommendations from the Mining Cadastral Office (MCO).
The revoked licenses include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.
Alake described the move as part of broader efforts to clean up the mining sector by eliminating speculators and unserious investors.
“The era of obtaining licenses and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen struggle to access good sites, is over,” he said.
He emphasized that genuine investors should show commitment by paying their fees promptly.
“Paying the annual service fee is the minimum proof of your interest in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke your license because the law allows you to return it if you change your mind.”
The minister also warned that cancellations do not absolve defaulters of their obligations, revealing that their names would be forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for recovery efforts.
“This step encourages due diligence and highlights the consequences of flooding the license application process with speculative activities,” Alake noted.
According to MCO Director-General Simon Nkom, the revocation process began after a notice of intention to revoke was published in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025. At that time, 1,957 license holders were identified as defaulters.
He explained that the delay in finalizing the revocations was due to reconciliation efforts with some operators who claimed to have paid their fees through Remita.
With this latest action, a total of 3,794 mineral titles have been revoked under the current administration. This includes 619 licenses cancelled for non-payment of fees and 912 revoked last year due to inactivity.
Alake insisted that despite some resistance, the reforms are already producing “massive and manifest” improvements in the sector’s operations.
