In a sweeping move aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, the Federal Government has revoked a total of 1,263 mineral licences belonging to operators who failed to meet the mandatory annual service fee requirement.
According to a statement from Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, the cancelled titles include:584 exploration licences, 65 mining leases,144 quarry licences and 470 small-scale mining leases
These licences are set to be permanently deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System (eMC+), the digital platform managed by the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office (MCO).
The decision to revoke was approved by Minister Dele Alake, following a recommendation from the MCO. The Minister emphasized that the move is in line with government policy to cleanse the sector of speculators and non-performing operators.
“This administration will no longer tolerate the practice of hoarding mining titles without development,” Alake stated. “The annual service fee is the bare minimum proof of interest. If you no longer wish to pursue the licence, the law permits voluntary return, there’s no need to wait for revocation.”
He added that the revocation does not absolve defaulters of their financial obligations. The list of affected companies and individuals will be forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for debt recovery and possible prosecution.
The process began earlier in the year when the MCO identified 1,957 licences in default. A public notice of intention to revoke was published in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025, giving operators 30 days to comply with payment requirements in accordance with the Minerals and Mining Act of 2007.
Simon Nkom, Director-General of the MCO, revealed that the delay in finalising the revocations was due to the need to investigate claims from some licensees who said they had made payments through the government’s Remita platform.
With this latest purge, the total number of mineral titles revoked under President Bola Tinubu’s administration has now reached 3,794. This includes:
- 619 titles revoked last year for non-payment of fees
- 912 licences cancelled for dormancy
- The newly revoked 1,263 titles
Officials say the reform efforts are already yielding results, despite what they described as resistance from entrenched interests and defaulters.
What This Means for Investors
By freeing up previously hoarded or idle mineral titles, the government aims to create room for serious, well-funded investors to access viable sites, a move expected to boost productivity and revenue generation in the mining sector.
About the Author
