The Federal Government has accused an embattled mining company, Jupiter Ltd, of planning a “campaign of calumny” against Nigeria ahead of the state visit of President Bola Tinubu to the United Kingdom.
The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development said the alleged move is aimed at discrediting ongoing reforms in the mining sector and misleading the international community over the revocation of certain mineral licences.
In a statement issued by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, the government dismissed reports claiming that Nigeria seized a British lithium project under armed guard, describing the allegation as false and misleading.
The ministry stressed that the Federal Government has no legal or contractual relationship with any entity known as Jupiter Lithium, adding that Nigerian law does not permit foreign companies to directly hold mineral titles.
According to the statement, the controversy arose from the revocation of licences held by Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian-registered company linked to an Australian national, Steve Davis.
The government explained that the company lost its mineral titles after failing to meet statutory financial obligations, including the payment of annual service fees amounting to N2.494 billion for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.
The affected licences—45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML, and 40533ML—were revoked after due notice was issued in line with existing mining regulations.
Authorities also dismissed claims that the revoked assets were reassigned to a Chinese firm, describing such assertions as fabricated and intended to mislead both Nigerians and the international community.
The ministry further alleged that Davis had interests in multiple mining entities operating in Nigeria, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd, and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.
It noted that such arrangements are often used by speculators to acquire mineral licences without undertaking actual mining operations, contributing to the problem of dormant assets and illegal mining in the country.
The government reiterated its commitment to ongoing reforms aimed at sanitising the sector and boosting its contribution to the economy.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms,” the statement said, adding that efforts to reposition the mining sector remain unwavering.
Nigeria has intensified efforts to develop its solid mineral resources—including lithium, gold, and iron ore—as part of a broader strategy to diversify the economy away from crude oil.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu is scheduled to visit the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, 2026, following an invitation from King Charles III. The visit is expected to focus on strengthening bilateral relations in trade, investment, security, and migration.
The ministry urged stakeholders to disregard what it described as attempts by “discredited individuals” to undermine Nigeria’s reform agenda in the mining sector.
