FG Revokes 924 Dormant Mining Licences

The mining industry has seen 924 dormant licences withdrawn by FG, affecting four different industries.

During a news conference on Wednesday, April 24, Minister of Solid Minerals Developments Dele Alake announced that exploration, mining, small-scale mining, and quarrying are among the affected regions.

Alake informed reporters that all parties involved had received sufficient notice through the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s official Gazette, No. 227, which was published on December 27, 2023.

528 exploration licences, 20 mining leases, 101 quarry licences, and 273 small-scale mining licences (SSML) were among the 924 idle licences that were cancelled by FG.

Read Also: Powerful Nigerians Involved In Illegal Mining And Banditry – Alake

He said; “The notice gave all concerned parties 30 days to regularise their status, including clarifications on what caused the license to be dormant.

“Thus, although a total of 963 licensees were published and notified of the threat of revocation, no fewer than 39 either moved to the site immediately or convinced the authorities of the challenges hindering their operations.”

The Minister said that investors from all over the world are now free to apply for any of the “affected cadastral units on the basis of first come, first served,” adding that the move would sanitise the licencing system by penalising those who have “commercialised the opportunities offered by the sector into a bazaar.”

Since fines have been levied for various sorts of revoked licences, the affected licensees have been ordered to make restitution. This also holds true for the 1,633 titles that were revoked due to unpaid annual service payments last year.

Alake said; “For revoked mining licences, a fine of N10m applies; N7.5m for small-scale mining license (SSML) while N5m for exploration license (EL). They will be required to make the payments within 30 days to qualify for consideration.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli