The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has declared that the Federal Government’s (FG) comprehensive reforms in the solid minerals sector will not be derailed by threats or blackmail.
Speaking at a media briefing over the weekend ahead of the 10th Nigeria Mining Week, he confirmed tripling his personal security following direct threats to his life.
The minister noted that the reforms are already yielding significant results, pointing to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
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“Ten years ago, the contribution of mining to our nation’s GDP was less than 0.5%, but today it has increased to 1.8%, with figures from the NBS indicating an unprecedented 4.61% growth in the second quarter of 2025,” Alake stated.
He added that this growth translates into more active mines, increased company investment, and greater community impact.
The minister revealed that efforts to strengthen regulatory frameworks have faced a fierce backlash, including direct threats to their lives.
He attributed this resistance to powerful interests whose dormant mining licenses have been or are being revoked.
“The mining sector was hitherto an all-comers affair where operators got away with flagrant abuse of regulations,” Alake noted.
“We are correcting this anomaly, and those affected have been employing all forms of tactics, including threats and blackmail, to force us to reverse course.”
He confirmed he has had to “triple his personal security following threats received from some of those whose licenses were revoked,” but maintained an “unflinching resolve” to enforce all regulations.
Alake emphasised that the era of operators holding licenses for over ten years without activity or defaulting on annual service fees is over.
The ministry is strictly enforcing the “Use it or Lose it” clause in the mining act to attract serious investors.
To further consolidate the reforms and plug revenue leakages, Alake announced plans to establish a new pre-shipment agency for solid minerals
Additionally, the ministry is rolling out new security and regulatory measures, including the installation of satellite surveillance of mining sites and plans to double the personnel of the mining marshals to ensure an active mobile squad presence in all local governments to curtail illegal mining.
The minister highlighted that the upcoming 10th Nigeria Mining Week, themed “Nigerian Mining: From Progress to Global Relevance,” reflects the sector’s shift from an informal setup to a structured, innovation-driven, and investor-attractive environment.
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The event, scheduled for October 13th to 15th, 2025, at the Abuja Continental Hotel, is intended to be a platform for networking and attracting responsible investments to boost Nigeria’s industrialisation.
The President of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Dele Ayanleke, lauded the minister’s “yeoman’s efforts” in advancing the sector and urged the government to continue strengthening policy implementation, assuring the association’s support for the ongoing reforms.
