September 24, (THEWILL) — The Federal Government has revoked 1,263 mineral exploration licences across the country.
A statement by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the revoked titles include 584 exploration licences, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licences, and 470 small-scale mining leases.
Alake explained that the affected licences have already been deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal.
He added that the revocation is expected to open new opportunities for fresh applications from investors.
Director-General of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office (MCO), Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published its intention to revoke the licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.
The minister stressed that the revocation does not amount to a pardon for the outstanding service fees owed by the licence holders.
He said the list of defaulters will be forwarded to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure recovery of debts.
The latest action brings the total mineral titles withdrawn under the current administration to 3,794, including 619 titles revoked for non-payment of annual service fees and 912 for dormancy in 2024.
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