Nigeria warns mining firms over host-community deals, threatens licence revocation
Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has warned mining firms that fail to honour host-community agreements that they risk having their licences revoked. Alake said communities where resources are extracted deserve to benefit from them. The minister stressed there will be consequences for those who ignore that responsibility.
Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has issued a strong warning to mining firms that fail to honour the agreements they signed with host communities. The minister said companies that do not meet their obligations could have their licences revoked.
"Host communities deserve to benefit from the resources in their land, and there will be consequences for those who ignore that responsibility," Alake said. He stressed that communities in areas where mining takes place must share in the development it generates.
The statement stands out as part of Nigeria's efforts to regulate its solid minerals sector more tightly and protect the rights of local communities. The country aims to boost mining revenue to reduce its reliance on oil, and compliance with community agreements is seen as critical in that process.
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