The federal government says 1,263 mining licences will be deleted from the portal of the electronic mining cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office (MCO) following their revocation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Segun Tomori, media aide to Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, said those affected include 584 exploration licences, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licences, and 470 small-scale mining leases.
Tomori noted that by opening up the areas formerly covered by the affected licences, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.
He quoted the minister as saying that applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.
“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 statement reads.
“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 licence because the law allows you to return the licence if you change your mind.”
Tomori also quoted Alake as warning that the revocation does not mean that the federal government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees.
He added that the list will be forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.
“This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the licence application processes with speculative activities,” he said.
In the recommendation to the minister, Simon Nkom, the director-general of the MCO, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when his office published the intention to revoke licences in the federal government gazette on June 19, 2025.
He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licensees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.
He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through remitta and had to be reconciled.
The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3,794, including 619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.
