By Seyi Babalola
There are signs that some licensed miners in the nation may lose their permits shortly. This comes as the Nigerian Government has hinted at its preparedness to examine all mining permits.
Dr. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals, made this statement in Abuja on Thursday.
Alake, who hosted investors during a critical stakeholder meeting at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, also stated that the Federal Government will continue to implement stringent policies to make mining operations easier.
Meanwhile, the Minister believes that reviewing mining licenses is vital to improve investor confidence and energize the industry, in addition to the other good effects of existing reforms.
Soliciting stakeholder support for the impending increase in mining license and other fees, the Minister stated that this is unavoidable if the government is to effectively fulfill its obligations of providing an enabling environment for mining operations while also raising additional revenue for the government.
He said, “For us to continue to ensure that we secure the mining environment and keep putting in place measures that will ease the operational difficulties and challenges that confront miners, we need to review the rates of mining licenses and other sundry fees.
“We felt that we couldn’t just do this without letting you know because, invariably, you are the players in the industry.”
While speaking about the recent revocation of dormant mining licenses, he (Alake) maintained that the government diligently followed the due process of extant laws in the sector before the revocation of dormant mining licenses, whereby a 30-day restitution window is open to those affected.
It will be recalled that the Minister announced a restitution fee of N10 million, N7.5 million, N5 million, and N2.5 million for Mining Leases, Small Scale Mining Licenses (SSML), Exploration License (EL), and Quarrying License, respectively, including those earlier revoked for default in payment of annual service fees.
