No Going Back On Mining Reforms, Alake Vows

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has reiterated the Federal Government’s committedness to ongoing reforms, declaring that nary magnitude of threats oregon blackmail volition derail the transformative docket that was already yielding results.

Dr Alake made this connection during a media briefing implicit the play up of the 10th Nigeria Mining Week, which commences connected Monday, October 13, 2015.

In a connection by his peculiar adjunct connected media, Segun Tomori, connected Sunday, the curate underscored that the reforms were bearing fruits, arsenic evidenced by assorted indicators, including those compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“Ten years ago, the publication of mining to our nation’s GDP was little than 0.5%, but contiguous it has accrued to 1.8%, with figures from the NBS indicating an unprecedented 4.61% successful Q2, 2025. In applicable terms, this means much mines successful operation, much companies investing, and much communities being impacted by mining activity,” helium added.

Reflecting connected the sector’s evolution, the Minister stated that the Nigeria Mining Week has mirrored the industry’s modulation from informality to a much structured, innovation-driven, and investor-friendly environment.

He highlighted reforms focused connected transparency, hazard mitigation, and worth concatenation optimisation.

Revealing that efforts to fortify regulatory frameworks person faced backlash – including threats to his ain beingness – Alake reiterated his unwavering resolve, declaring that nary magnitude of intimidation, sponsored articles by unpatriotic hack writers, oregon campaigns of calumny could deter the imaginativeness of repositioning the mining sector.

“The mining assemblage was hitherto an all-comers’ matter wherever operators got distant with flagrant maltreatment of regulations. When we came in, we made efforts to close this anomaly, and those affected person been employing each forms of tactics, including threats and blackmail, to unit america to reverse course. I privation to guarantee Nigerians that our resoluteness is unflinching. We are going up to enforce strictly each regulations, nary substance whose ox is gored,” helium said.

The Minister cited the revocation of mining licences, stressing that it is an ongoing process. He emphasised that the epoch successful which individuals defaulted connected outgo of yearly work fees oregon held licences for implicit 10 years without utilising them oregon commencing operations is present over.

He reaffirmed that the “Use it oregon Lose it” clause successful the Mining Act volition beryllium strictly enforced to marque mode for superior investors to make the sector.

“Our tendency for a precise conducive operating situation should not indulge those who are successful changeless default of the regulations. We won’t tolerate that. I person had to triple my idiosyncratic information pursuing threats received from immoderate of those whose licences were revoked, but I americium undaunted. Our assurance is hinged connected the information that we are waging the conflict based connected principle, for the involvement of our country,” Alake added.

He disclosed that a caller Pre-Shipment Agency for Solid Minerals was successful the pipeline. He besides confirmed that outer surveillance of mining sites is underway, alongside plans to treble the unit of the Mining Marshals. The purpose is to guarantee the mobile squad has an progressive beingness successful each Local Government Areas crossed the state and is afloat equipped to curtail amerciable mining activities.

The Minister urged each stakeholders, manufacture players, and investors to enactment the occurrence of the Mining Week, describing it arsenic a captious level for networking, consolidating progress, attracting liable investments, and ensuring that the mining assemblage contributes meaningfully to Nigeria’s industrialisation.

On his part, the President of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Mr Dele Ayanleke, called connected the authorities to proceed strengthening argumentation implementation, portion encouraging investors to instrumentality afloat vantage of the opportunities Nigeria presents. He commended the Minister for his yeoman’s efforts successful advancing the mining sector, pledging the association’s enactment for the ongoing reforms.

The 10th Nigerian Mining Week, with the taxable “Nigerian Mining: From Progress to Global Relevance,” is organised by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) successful concern with the Miners Association of Nigeria, Vuka Group, PwC, and others. The lawsuit is scheduled to instrumentality spot from October 13 to 15, 2025, astatine the Abuja Continental Hotel.