The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has vowed that neither threats nor blackmail will deter him or undermine the federal government’s transformative agenda in Nigeria’s mining sector.
Speaking at a media briefing over the weekend ahead of the 10th Nigeria Mining Week, scheduled to commence on Monday, Alake reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to ongoing reforms, which he said are already delivering results.
The minister highlighted key indicators, including data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), as evidence of progress.
“Ten years ago, the contribution of mining to our nation’s GDP was less than 0.5 percent, but today it has risen to 1.8 percent, with NBS figures showing an unprecedented 4.61 percent in Q2, 2025. In practical terms, this means more mines in operation, more companies investing, and more communities benefiting from mining activity,” he said.
Reflecting on the sector’s evolution, Alake noted that Nigeria Mining Week has mirrored the industry’s shift from informality to a structured, innovation-driven, and investor-friendly environment.
He highlighted reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, reducing investment risks, and optimizing the mining value chain.
Acknowledging resistance to regulatory strengthening, including threats to his life, the minister expressed unwavering resolve.
“No amount of intimidation, sponsored articles by unpatriotic writers, or a campaign of calumny can deter the vision of repositioning the mining sector,” Alake declared.
He noted, “ The mining sector was hitherto an all-comers affair where operators got away with flagrant abuse of regulations. When we came in, we made efforts to correct this anomaly, and those affected have been employing all forms of tactics, including threats and blackmail to force us to reverse course. I want to assure Nigerians that our resolve is unflinching. We are going ahead to enforce strictly all regulations, no matter whose ox is gored.”
The minister cited the revocation of mining licenses, reiterating that it is an on-going process, emphasizing that the era in which people defaulted in payment of annual service fees or held in licenses for over 10 years without using it or commencing any form of operation is gone with the wind.
He asserted that the “Use it or Lose it” clause in the mining act will be strictly enforced to pave the way for serious investors to develop the mining sector.
“Our desire for a very conducive operating environment should not indulge those who are in constant default of the regulations. We won’t tolerate that. I have had to triple my personal security following threats received from some of those whose licenses were revoked, but I am undaunted. Our confidence is hinged on the fact that we are waging the battle based on principle, for the sake of our country”, Alake added
He also hinted at the establishment of a new pre-shipment agency for solid minerals, affirming that the installation of satellite surveillance of mining sites is also underway alongside plans to double the personnel of the mining marshals.
This aimed at ensuring that the mobile squad has an active presence in all local governments in the country and is fully equipped to curtail illegal mining.
The minister urged all stakeholders, industry players and investors to join in making the mining week a resounding success asserting that it promises to be a platform for networking, consolidating on progress made, attracting responsible investments and ensuring that the mining sector contributes substantially to Nigeria’s industrialization.
The 10th Nigerian Mining Week themed, “Nigerian Mining: From Progress to Global Relevance” is organized by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) in partnership with the Miners Association of Nigeria, Vuka Group, PwC amongst others.
It is billed to hold from the 13th to 15th October 2025 at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
