Nigeria’s Federal Government collected ₦6.9 billion in mining fees and royalties in Q1 2025, a 25% increase from ₦5.5 billion in Q1 2024, driven by digital licensing and enforcement, Solid Minerals Minister Dele Alake announced.
Limestone contributed ₦2.1 billion and gold ₦1.8 billion, with 1,200 new permits issued, boosting compliance among Nigeria’s 3,000 registered miners. Alake’s reforms, including satellite monitoring and 2,500 mining marshals, aim for a $10 billion sector GDP by 2027, leveraging 44 mineral types across 36 states.
Illegal mining, costing ₦300 billion annually, remains a hurdle, with Zamfara’s gold fields plagued by banditry, per Alake’s audit. The minister proposed 10 modular refineries for gold to curb smuggling, which siphons 80% of output, per the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Critics argue revenue growth lags behind South Africa’s $60 billion mining sector, and 2024’s 12 mine collapses highlight safety gaps. Supporters see Alake’s 2023 Mining Act amendments, raising fines to ₦50 million, as progress.