The Federal Government has announced the revocation of 1,263 mineral licenses under the oversight of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. The licenses, comprising exploration licenses, mining leases, quarry permits, and small-scale mining leases, were revoked due to the licensees’ failure to pay their annual fees, according to the Minister Dele Alake.

He added that the revoked titles will soon be removed from the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office’s Electronic Mining Cadastral System, making the land available for new applicants. The government says this measure aims to eliminate dormant and speculative holders and encourage serious investors to boost growth in the mining sector. So far, a total of 3,794 mineral titles have been revoked under the current administration.