Following a dispute over revoked mineral licences, the Federal Government claims to have discovered an attempt by a troubled mining company, Jupiter Ltd., to launch what it called a “campaign of calumny” against Nigeria during President Bola Tinubu’s scheduled state visit to the United Kingdom.
According to the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the purported action was intended to deceive the international world about the reasons surrounding the termination of specific mineral licenses and undermine the Federal Government’s mining sector reforms.
It said that the business and its affiliates are preparing to provide false information about Nigeria’s mining industry in order to undermine the Tinubu-led government’s current reforms.
The ministry argued that claims that Nigeria took a British lithium project under armed security were untrue and deceptive in a statement released on Sunday by Segun Tomori, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development.
Tomori emphasised that Nigeria’s mining regulations forbade foreign firms from directly holding mineral titles and stated that the Federal Government had no legal or contractual ties with any company such as Jupiter Lithium.
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 robust response to a tissue of falsehoods sponsored by Jupiter Ltd in a publication titled ‘Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.’
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“Our response, titled ‘In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,’ exposed the antics of one Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald, whose deceitful enterprise in the mining sector eventually met the full weight of the law.
“We made it unequivocally clear that the allegations are baseless and unfounded. The Federal Government, through the ministry and the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office, has no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium, as the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act expressly prohibits the granting of mining licences to foreign companies.”
He clarified that the dispute was caused by the revocation of mineral titles held by Basin Mining Ltd., a Nigerian business connected to Steve Davis, an Australian who is purportedly in charge of a number of mining companies in the nation.
The ministry claims that the company’s failure to fulfil its statutory financial requirements under Nigeria’s mining legislation was the reason for the revocation.
Additionally, he stated that Basin Mining Ltd. lost its mineral rights due to non-payment of N2.494 billion in mandatory yearly service payments for the fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
He emphasised that changes intended to increase accountability, transparency, and investor trust in the industry will not be undone by coercion or extortion.
The ministry also urged Nigerians and international stakeholders to disregard what it described as attempts by “discredited individuals” to undermine the country’s reform agenda.
Recall that that Tinubu is scheduled to embark on a historic state visit to the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, 2026, following an invitation from King Charles III, who will host the Nigerian president at Windsor Castle.
The visit is anticipated to focus on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between both countries, including cooperation in trade, investment, security and migration.
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