The Federal Government has alleged that an embattled mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, is planning a smear campaign against Nigeria during the forthcoming state visit of President Bola Tinubu to the United Kingdom following disputes over revoked mineral licences.
The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development said the move was allegedly designed to undermine ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s mining sector and mislead the international community about the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of certain mineral titles.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, said the company and its associates were preparing to circulate what the government described as false claims about Nigeria’s mining industry.
Tomori dismissed allegations that the Federal Government forcefully took over a British lithium project under armed guard, describing the claim as inaccurate and misleading.
According to him, the government has no legal or contractual ties with any firm known as Jupiter Lithium, stressing that Nigeria’s mining laws prohibit foreign companies from directly holding mineral licences.
The statement said the ministry became aware of plans by the company to launch what it called a campaign aimed at discrediting Nigeria during the President’s visit to the UK.
Tomori noted that earlier in the week, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kehinde Bamigbetan, had responded to allegations published in an article titled “Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.”
He explained that the ministry’s response, titled “In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,” rejected the claims and accused individuals linked to the company, including Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald, of spreading misinformation about developments in the sector.
The ministry said the controversy was linked to the revocation of mineral titles belonging to Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company associated with Davis, an Australian national believed to have interests in several mining firms operating in the country.
According to the government, the licences were withdrawn after the company failed to meet statutory financial obligations required under Nigeria’s mining regulations.
Tomori stated that the company defaulted on the payment of annual service fees amounting to N2.494bn for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, leading to the revocation of its mineral titles after due notice was issued in line with the law.
The affected titles include 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML and 40533ML.
The ministry also dismissed claims that the revoked licences were reassigned to a Chinese company, describing the allegation as fabricated and intended to mislead the public and international stakeholders.
It further alleged that Davis held interests in multiple mining firms 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 sometimes used by speculators to secure mineral licences without undertaking actual mining activities.
Tomori said the government’s enforcement of regulations had affected some of these operations, adding that individuals involved were now attempting to discredit the reforms.
He noted that the practice of speculators holding large numbers of mineral titles without developing them had contributed to dormant licences and illegal mining activities in the country.
The ministry maintained that the Federal Government would continue enforcing regulations as part of broader reforms aimed at repositioning the mining sector as a key contributor to economic growth.
Tomori said the administration remained committed to restoring transparency, accountability and investor confidence in the industry.
He urged Nigerians and international stakeholders to disregard what he described as attempts by “discredited individuals” to undermine the government’s reform agenda.
Nigeria has in recent years stepped up efforts to develop its vast solid mineral resources, including lithium, gold, iron ore and rare earth elements, as part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on crude oil.
As part of the reforms, the government has introduced incentives such as tax waivers on imported mining equipment, provisions allowing full repatriation of profits and measures aimed at improving the ease of doing business in the sector.
The initiatives, the ministry said, have begun attracting increasing global interest in Nigeria’s mineral resources, particularly lithium, which is widely used in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage technologies.