The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to ongoing sector reforms, emphasizing that no threats or attempts at blackmail will derail the transformative agenda already showing positive results.

In a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister,
Segun Tomori, Dr. Alake spoke at a media briefing over the weekend ahead of the 10th Nigeria Mining Week, which begins today.

He highlighted that the reforms in the solid minerals sector are beginning to bear fruit, citing key indicators, including data from the National Bureau of Statistics, as evidence of progress.

“10 years ago, the contribution of mining to our nation’s GDP was less than 0.5% but today it has increased to 1.8% with figures from the NBS indicating an unprecedented 4.61% in Q2, 2025.

“In practical terms, this means more mines in operation, more companies investing and more communities being impacted by mining activity”, he added.

Reflecting on the sector’s progress, the Minister said Nigeria Mining Week has showcased the industry’s transformation from an informal setup to a structured, innovation-driven, and investor-friendly environment.

He emphasized reforms targeting greater transparency, reduced investment risks, and enhanced value chain efficiency.

Addressing challenges, including threats to his life in response to regulatory reforms, Dr. Alake reaffirmed his steadfast commitment, declaring that no intimidation, smear campaigns, or malicious reporting can derail the government’s vision to reposition and modernize the mining sector.

“The mining sector was hitherto an all-comers affair where operators got away with flagrant abuse of regulations. When we came in, we made efforts to correct this anomaly and those affected have been employing all forms of tactics, including threats and blackmail to force us to reverse course.

“I want to assure Nigerians that our resolve is unflinching. We are going ahead to enforce strictly all regulations, no matter whose ox is gored,” he said.

The Minister cited the ongoing revocation of dormant mining licenses, stressing that the exercise is continuous.

He emphasized that the era when individuals defaulted on annual service fees or held licenses idle for over a decade without commencing operations is now a thing of the past.