The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, has taken a decisive step to clean up the solid minerals sector by revoking 924 dormant mineral licences.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, made this announcement during a press conference held on Wednesday in Abuja.
The revoked licences encompass various categories, including 528 exploration licences, 20 mining leases, 101 quarry licences, and 273 small-scale mining licences.
Alake emphasized that the decision to revoke these licences came after identifying issues of licence racketeering within the sector.
“In line with constitutional provisions, we ensured that adequate notice was given to the concerned parties through the official gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria no 227, published on December 27, 2023,” stated Alake.
“This notice provided all concerned parties with a 30-day window to regularize their status, including clarifications on what caused the licence to be dormant.”
He further explained, “In view of the above, which demonstrates our adherence to due process and fair consideration, and in line with the standard policy of ‘use it or lose it,’ I hereby revoke the 924 dormant licences with immediate effect.”
