The Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), Obadiah Simon Nkom, has emphasised that all mining title applications must fulfil legal, technical and financial requirements, including the provision of relevant documentation such as valid tax clearance certificates.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja, Nkom outlined the MCO’s revenue streams, which include yearly service fees based on cadastral units, processing charges for new applications, fees for title modifications, and penalties for late renewals. He affirmed that only qualified and compliant applicants would be granted mineral titles, stressing that “anything outside the law is not acceptable”.
He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to due process, transparency and full compliance with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007, along with its 2011 regulations. He also noted that the MCO’s billing system is fully digitised and programmed to reject underpayments.
“We strictly adhere to the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, and the 2011 Mining Regulations,” Nkom stated, adding “If an application is found deficient, the law mandates that the operator be notified and given typically two weeks to rectify it.”
Deficiencies may include outdated tax clearance certificates, missing Corporate Affairs Commission documents, incorrect coordinates, or inadequate landowner consent. Technical work programmes might also require further clarification. Supporting documents, including declarations of no criminal record and evidence of technical and financial competence, must undergo rigorous evaluation.
“To demonstrate financial capability, applicants must submit a bank comfort letter and a recent bank statement. If there are gaps, we are obligated to seek clarification before any decision is made. This guarantees the right to a fair hearing. Verification of documents, including those from banks, often takes time. This is why several applications remained pending as of Q4 2024,” he stated.
Even with landowner consent, further verification is essential. Applications cannot be summarily rejected without giving operators the opportunity to address identified issues, such as correcting coordinates, which is why many of these pending cases were reflected in the MCO’s Q1 2025 report.
Addressing the issue of land consent, Nkom explained the complexities of land ownership and community engagement. Applicants are required to obtain written consent from landowners and supporting endorsements from traditional rulers, in line with Section 100 of the Act. These must be accompanied by a sworn affidavit before any title can be granted.
He praised the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, for driving stakeholder-oriented reforms, including the introduction of the 2024 Value Chain Regulation and the strengthened legal framework for mining marshals. To resolve ongoing disputes over land rights, the MCO has empowered its zonal offices and legal units to carry out field verifications.
“In many cases, multiple individuals claim ownership of the same parcel of land. We now require dual confirmation: the landowner’s signature and validation by a traditional ruler. All landowners must sign the consent form, which must include coordinates, and applicants must swear a court affidavit affirming the authenticity of the consent,” Nkom said.
He warned that false declarations attract severe sanctions, including licence revocation. Despite these precautions, disputes persist, particularly where licence areas straddle multiple communities or local government areas. In such cases, zonal officers and the Mines Inspectorate collaborate to conduct on-the-ground verifications.
