The federal government has alleged that a mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, is planning a campaign aimed at embarrassing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued by the federal ministry of solid minerals development, the government claimed the company intended to spread misleading information about Nigeria’s mining sector following the revocation of certain mineral licences.
The statement, released by Segun Tomori, the special assistant on media to the minister, said the alleged move was designed to undermine the federal government’s ongoing reforms in the sector and misinform the international community.
According to the ministry, claims that Nigeria seized a British lithium project under armed guard were inaccurate.
Authorities insisted that the government has no legal or contractual relationship with any firm known as Jupiter Lithium, noting that Nigerian law does not allow foreign companies to directly hold mineral licences.
Officials explained that the dispute originated from the revocation of licences held by Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian firm linked to an Australian national, Steve Davis.
The licences were reportedly withdrawn after the company failed to meet its statutory financial obligations.
The ministry said the company defaulted on annual service fees amounting to about ₦2.49bn for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, leading to the cancellation of several mineral titles in line with existing mining regulations.
It also dismissed allegations that the revoked licences were reassigned to a Chinese company, describing the claim as false and intended to mislead the public.
Government officials further alleged that Davis had interests in multiple mining firms operating in Nigeria and accused him of using different entities to acquire mineral licences without carrying out actual mining activities.
The ministry maintained that the current administration is determined to enforce regulations strictly as part of broader reforms aimed at repositioning the mining sector as a major contributor to Nigeria’s economy.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu is expected to embark on a state visit to the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, where discussions will focus on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between both countries.