The Federal Government has warned that mining companies that fail to sign and implement Community Development Agreements (CDAs) risk sanctions, including the revocation of mining titles.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, made this known at the 2026 ministerial retreat held in Abuja on July 3, 2026.
The retreat, themed “Accelerating Solid Minerals Sector Transformation: Delivering on Ministerial Mandates Through the Seven Priority Areas,” focused on reforms aimed at unlocking value in the sector.
Speaking at the opening session, Alake urged staff members of the ministry and its agencies to consolidate on existing achievements and aggressively pursue new opportunities to expand the sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He commended stakeholders for their commitment, stating that consistency in policies and initiatives had restored sanity to the mining industry and attracted credible investors.
“The solid minerals sector in Nigeria has never been on the front burner of national discourse. With your cooperation, support and hard work, we have touched virtually every aspect of the seven-point agenda. There is no area where measurable results cannot be identified. It has become a pillar of the strategic economic diversification agenda of the President and this government,” Alake said.
The minister also issued a stern warning to companies defaulting on their Community Development Agreements, disclosing that the Permanent Secretary had compiled a list of offending firms.
“We are going to take very drastic measures very soon. If companies truly implement these community agreements and extend corporate social responsibility to host communities, the communities themselves will feel obliged to ensure a peaceful environment for such companies to thrive,” he warned.
On the challenge of illegal mining, Alake said the deployment of mine marshals had helped restore order in the sector, but stressed that innovative and non-conventional strategies were needed to completely address insecurity.
“What we need to do is to further train the mine marshals, and plans for that are already in place,” he said.
The minister urged participants at the retreat to develop innovative ideas, including unconventional approaches that could strengthen the sector.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Sampson Ekang, pledged the support of the National Assembly, describing the sector as critical to Nigeria’s economic diversification, industrialisation, job creation and national development.
“As a National Assembly, we are not comfortable that the solid minerals sector has not received the kind of budgetary support that will accelerate growth in the industry. We believe greater attention will be given to the sector through improved policies,” he said.
Also speaking, chairman of the House Committee on Solid Minerals, Jonathan Gaza, commended the teamwork that had produced positive results in the sector, while calling on the Federal Government to prioritise solid minerals development through adequate funding.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government, the executive arm and the President to treat this sector with the priority it deserves,” Gaza said.
According to organisers, the retreat aims to align the ministry’s mandate with presidential priorities by strengthening institutions and ensuring policies are translated into measurable results.
