By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi
The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has accused an embattled mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, of planning a campaign of calumny against the Federal Government during the state visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom.
In a press statement issued on March 15, 2026, the Ministry said it had credible information that the company intended to discredit Nigeria’s mining reforms on the international stage, following regulatory actions taken against entities linked to it.
The Ministry recalled that earlier in the week, the Special Adviser to the Minister on Media, Kehinde Bamigbetan, published a rebuttal to what it described as “a tissue of falsehoods” sponsored by the firm in a report titled “Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.”
The government’s response, “In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,” outlined what it termed deceptive practices involving individuals including Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald.
According to the Ministry, in a statement signed by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, claims by the firm are baseless, stressing that the Federal Government, through the Ministry and the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office (NMCO), has no legal or contractual relationship with any entity known as Jupiter Lithium.
It added that the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 prohibits the direct allocation of mining licences to foreign companies.
The statement explained that the dispute stemmed from the revocation of mineral titles belonging to Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company allegedly fronted by Davis, an Australian national.
The revocation, it said, followed due process after the company failed to meet its statutory obligations.
The Ministry disclosed that the titles were withdrawn over unpaid annual service fees totalling ₦2.494 billion for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, covering multiple licences.
It dismissed allegations that the revoked licences were reassigned to a Chinese firm, describing the claim as entirely fabricated and intended to mislead the public and international stakeholders.
The government further alleged that Davis operates through multiple companies, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd and Iron Ore Mining Ltd, to acquire mineral titles without undertaking actual mining operations.
According to the Ministry, such practices contribute significantly to illegal mining and deprive genuine investors of opportunities to develop the sector.
It stressed that ongoing reforms under the Tinubu administration are aimed at restoring transparency, enforcing compliance, and repositioning the mining sector as a key contributor to Nigeria’s economy.
The Ministry warned both local and international audiences to be wary of what it described as attempts by “discredited individuals” to undermine government reforms through misinformation.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms,” the statement said, reaffirming its commitment to transforming the sector into a major contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
It added that Nigeria remains open to serious investors willing to operate within the ambit of its laws, highlighting incentives such as tax waivers on imported mining equipment and full repatriation of profits as part of efforts to improve the ease of doing business.
