Tinubu UK visit sparks controversy as FG alerts on attempt to mislead international community.

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development said the alleged move was aimed at discrediting ongoing reforms in the mining sector and misleading the international community about the circumstances surrounding the revocation of certain mineral licences.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, the ministry dismissed claims that Nigeria seized a British lithium project under armed guard, describing the allegation as false and misleading.

Tomori said the Federal Government had no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium, stressing that Nigerian mining laws prohibit foreign companies from directly holding mineral titles.

The statement read, “It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development that an embattled mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, plans to orchestrate a campaign of calumny against the Federal Government of Nigeria during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu to the United Kingdom.

“Earlier in the week, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kehinde Bamigbetan, authored a response to what we described as a tissue of falsehoods sponsored by Jupiter Ltd in a publication titled ‘Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.’

“Our response, titled ‘In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,’ exposed the activities of one Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald, whose enterprise in the mining sector eventually met the full weight of the law.”

According to the ministry, the controversy stemmed from the revocation of mineral titles belonging to Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company linked to an Australian national, Steve Davis.

The government said the revocation followed the company’s failure to meet statutory financial obligations under Nigeria’s mining regulations.

Tomori stated that Basin Mining Ltd lost its mineral titles after failing to pay statutory annual service fees amounting to N2.494bn for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.

The unpaid fees covered mineral titles 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML and 40533ML, which were revoked after due notice was served on the company in line with existing regulations.

The ministry also dismissed claims that the titles were reassigned to a Chinese firm, describing the allegation as a fabrication intended to mislead the public and the international community.

It further alleged that Davis had interests in several mining companies operating in Nigeria, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.

According to the government, such arrangements are often used by speculators to acquire mineral titles without undertaking actual mining operations.

The ministry said the practice had contributed to the problem of dormant mining licences and illegal mining activities in the country.

It noted that the Federal Government was determined to end such practices as part of ongoing reforms aimed at repositioning the mining sector as a key driver of economic growth.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms by the antics of any individual or company,” Tomori added.

“Our commitment to transforming the mining sector into a major contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product is unwavering.”

The ministry urged Nigerians and international stakeholders to disregard what it described as attempts by “discredited individuals” to undermine the country’s reform agenda.

Nigeria has intensified efforts in recent years to develop its solid mineral resources, including lithium, gold, iron ore and rare earth elements, as part of a broader strategy to diversify the economy away from crude oil.