Mining: Ministerial Aide Dismisses Claims Of Pro-China Bias, Defends Licence Revocations

A special adviser on media to the minister of solid minerals development, Dr Dele Alake, Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, has defended the minister against allegations that he is favouring Chinese investors in Nigeria’s mining sector, describing the claims as false, misleading and politically motivated.

In a statement on Sunday with the title: “The Puerile Penegrination of a Serial Blackmailer,” Bamigbetan accused social commentator Steve Kefas of spreading misinformation over the federal government’s mining reforms and the revocation of mining licences linked to Basin Mining Limited.

According to Bamigbetan, the revocation followed the company’s failure to pay statutory annual service fees amounting to ₦1.223 billion in 2024 on five mineral titles. He said the outstanding liability had risen to about ₦2.494 billion by the time the licences were finally revoked.

He further alleged that Jupiter, a British-Australian company, subsequently initiated international arbitration proceedings against the federal government over the licence revocation and had embarked on a media campaign to pressure the government into reversing its decision.

Rejecting allegations that Alake had handed Nigeria’s mineral wealth to Chinese interests, Bamigbetan said the minister had visited China only twice in an official capacity since assuming office.

“Kefas’ allegation that Alake is handing over our mineral wealth to the Chinese betrays his abysmal ignorance of the dynamics of Nigeria’s international economic relations in the last three decades,” he said.

Bamigbetan argued that the minister had attended more mining investment conferences in Western countries than in China, citing his participation in the London Mines and Money Conference on three occasions, Mining Indaba in Cape Town three times, and two official visits to Australia.

He maintained that Nigeria’s policy of opening the solid minerals sector to foreign investment predated the current administration, tracing it to the enactment of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act and the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act of 1995.

According to him, Alake’s reforms have focused on promoting local value addition by compelling mining operators to process minerals within Nigeria.

“He identified and pursued local value addition very vigorously, stating that operators should begin processing minerals locally. Several Chinese companies began complying with this directive by building processing factories,” Bamigbetan stated.

Bamigbetan also highlighted Nigeria’s long-standing mining cooperation with China, noting that bilateral agreements between both countries dated back to 2001, while technical collaboration between the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency and the China Geological Survey has continued through joint geological mapping and mineral exploration projects.

He, however, insisted that the federal government remained committed to attracting investment from both Western and Eastern countries.

“Over 300 companies from Europe, America, Canada and Australia are active in various segments of the solid minerals sector,” he said, adding that Nigerian mining agencies were collaborating with French and German geological institutions to improve geological data and licensing systems.

Highlighting the achievements of the ministry, Bamigbetan listed the establishment of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, the creation of Mining Marshals, the commissioning of mineral processing plants and stricter enforcement of mining regulations as evidence of ongoing reforms.

He insisted that the revocation of mining licences would not be reversed, declaring, “No defaulting Jupiter company can move Alake.”