Folalumi Alaran in Abuja
In furtherance of efforts to sanitise the mining sector, the federal government, has revoked 924 dormant licenses spanning exploration, mining, small-scale mining, and quarrying Licenses
Making the announcement yesterday at a press conference, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake,declared that in line with constitutional provisions, adequate notice was given to all concerned parties through the official Gazette of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, No. 227, which was published on December 27, 2023.
“The notice gave all concerned parties 30 days to regularise their status, including clarifications on what caused the license to be dormant.
“Although a total of 963 licensees were published and notified of the threat of revocation, no fewer that 39 either moved to site immediately or convinced the authorities of the challenges hindering their operations,” the minister asserted.
In view of the foregoing, Alake affirmed the revocation of 928 dormant licenses, which included 528 exploration licenses; 20 mining leases; 101 quarry licenses, and 273 Small Scale Mining Licenses (SSML).
Speaking further, he stated that the action followed due process and fair consideration whilst it underscored the commitment of the federal government to implement the standard policy of “use it or lose it” as enshrined in mining guidelines.
According to Alake, “Investors across the globe are now free to apply for any of the affected Cadastral Units on the basis of “first come, first served. “
“It is our belief that this decision will sanitise the licensing system by penalising those who have commercialised the opportunities offered by the sector into a bazaar.”
