FG drops Hammer: 1,263 Mining Licenses revoked in massive crackdown

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Federal Government has revoked 1,263 mineral licenses after operators failed to pay their annual service fees, a move officials say is aimed at sanitising the solid minerals sector and creating opportunities for serious investors.

The affected titles, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System (eMC+), include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

By freeing up these areas, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development expects a surge of fresh applications from prospective investors.

Announcing the decision, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, said the revocation was necessary to discourage speculators and strengthen transparency in the industry.

“The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder while genuine investors lack access to sites is over. The annual service fee is the minimum proof of interest in mining. If you are no longer interested, the law permits you to return the licence instead of leaving it idle,” Alake declared.

He stressed that the revocation does not absolve defaulters of their outstanding debts, revealing that the list of affected licensees will be forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure recovery.

“This is to encourage due diligence and underscore the consequences of flooding the application process with speculative activities,” he added.

Director-General of the Mining Cadastral Office, Engr. Simon Nkom, explained that the process began after 1,957 defaulters were listed in a Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025, saying they were given 30 days to comply, in line with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007, but many failed to do so.

He said the final figure of 1,263 arose after reconciling payments by some operators who initially complained of technical issues in remitting fees through Remita.

This latest revocation brings the total mineral titles withdrawn under the current administration to 3,794, including 619 revoked last year for fee defaults and 912 for dormancy.

According to the ministry, the exercise is part of ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector under the Tinubu administration, which has vowed to end speculative licensing and boost genuine investment.