By Oluwabukunmi
Abuja, Sept. 24, 2025 – The Women in Mining in Nigeria (WIMIN) has welcomed the Federal Government’s recent revocation of 1,263 mineral licences, describing the move as a critical step toward sanitising the sector and positioning Nigeria to benefit from the booming global demand for lithium.
National President of WIMIN, Dr. Janet Adeyemi, said in Abuja on Wednesday that the decision would curb the “all-comers syndrome” in the mining industry and ensure that only serious and responsible operators manage Nigeria’s concessions.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, had earlier announced the withdrawal of the licences over defaults in the payment of statutory fees. He explained that the affected titles would be removed from the Electronic Mining Cadastral system, creating room for committed investors.
Adeyemi stressed that the revocation was not punitive but strategic, describing dormant or defaulting licences as “missed opportunities” for the country.
“Minerals such as lithium, once considered waste, are now in high global demand,” she said. “By enforcing compliance, we attract credible indigenous and foreign investors, strengthen Nigeria’s reputation as a mining jurisdiction, and secure our place in global critical mineral supply chains.”
She added that with the global shift to renewable energy and electric vehicles, Nigeria must take advantage of lithium’s prominence as a critical mineral.
Adeyemi argued that mining licences are legal instruments tied to clear obligations on royalties, community development, and environmental responsibility—not privileges to be hoarded.
“Defaulters who ignore these obligations undermine our economy, our communities, and our global reputation. They cannot be allowed to hold Nigeria back,” she said.
The WIMIN president also commended Alake for recent reforms in the solid minerals sector, including the prosecution of illegal operators, which she described as deterrence for others.
However, she urged regulators to ensure transparency and accountability in their oversight functions, insisting that corruption-free governance of the sector was key to achieving sustainable development.
