The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has announced plans to revoke over 1,000 dormant mining licences in addition to the 900 licences cancelled in 2024.

Alake disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening of the maiden National Steel Summit, themed “Rebuilding and Consolidating Nigeria’s Steel Industry: Collaborative Action for Sustainable Growth and Global Competitiveness.”

“To clean up our licensing system, I had to revoke over 900 licences, which had become tools in the hands of speculators rather than instruments of development. Very shortly, I am going to announce another over 1,000 licences that will be revoked,” he said.

The minister stressed that the solid minerals sector was no longer a “playground for opportunists” but a driver of national industrial growth and continental leadership. He said the government was laying the foundation for mineral resources to create jobs, feed local industries, and build national prosperity.

According to him, the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development is aligning its reforms to support the Ministry of Steel Development, given that the steel value chain begins with mining.

Also speaking, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said the government was accelerating economic diversification through targeted reforms in industrialisation, manufacturing, and innovation to ensure Nigeria’s resources are processed locally and integrated into global and regional markets.

Minister of Steel Development, Mr. Shuaibu Audu, described the steel sector as the “critical backbone” of an industrialised economy, noting its importance to sectors such as construction, automobiles, electronics, shipbuilding, military equipment, and telecommunications.

Audu said the summit aimed to assess the state of the industry, explore investment opportunities, identify policy and infrastructure gaps, and foster collaboration between industry players and policymakers for a sustainable steel industry in Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu will on Thursday, August 14, embark on a two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil, with a stopover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

In Japan, the President will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama from August 20 to 22. The conference, themed “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa”, will focus on Africa’s economic transformation, improved business environment, institutional reforms, private investment, and innovation.

During the summit, Tinubu will participate in plenary sessions, hold bilateral meetings, and engage with the executives of Japanese companies investing in Nigeria.

Initiated in 1993 by the Japanese government, TICAD is co-hosted by the United Nations, UNDP, the African Union Commission, and the World Bank. It is held every three years, alternating between Japan and Africa. The last edition took place in Tunisia in August 2022.

At the end of the conference, President Tinubu will proceed to Brasilia, Brazil, for a two-day state visit from August 24 to 25, at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In Brazil, he will meet his counterpart, participate in a business forum with Brazilian investors, and oversee the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation.

The President will be accompanied by key ministers and senior government officials.

Former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has regained his freedom after two days in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Tambuwal was detained on Monday when he appeared at the EFCC headquarters to answer questions over allegations of fraudulent cash withdrawals amounting to N189 billion during his tenure as governor.

According to EFCC sources, the former governor was granted administrative bail after fulfilling all stipulated conditions. His release came amid growing political tension over the case.

In a sharp rebuke, the anti-graft agency accused the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of attempting to politicise its investigation, insisting that its work is guided solely by evidence and due process.

The EFCC stressed that no individual, regardless of political affiliation, is above scrutiny in the ongoing fight against corruption.