Federal Govt revokes 924 dormant mining licences, defaulters to pay N10m fine

The federal government has canceled 924 inactive mining licenses across four sectors: exploration, mining, small-scale mining, and quarrying.

Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, announced this during a news conference.

The government had issued a 30-day notice to the license holders in the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Gazette, giving them a chance to correct their status or explain why their licenses were dormant. Out of 963 licenses notified, 39 corrected their status, while 924 were revoked.

The canceled licenses included 528 exploration licenses, 20 mining leases, 101 quarry licenses, and 273 small-scale mining licenses. The government said this action aims to enforce the “use it or lose it” policy and clean up the licensing system.

The revoked licenses come with fines—N10 million for mining licenses, N7.5 million for small-scale mining licenses, and N5 million for exploration licenses—which must be paid within 30 days to be reconsidered.

The government also warned against illicit practices, emphasizing that they will not tolerate license racketeering or speculative activities.