Nigeria’s government has rejected allegations that it seized a British-developed lithium project and handed it to Chinese operators, accusing a mining company of spreading false claims ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s planned visit to the United Kingdom.
In a statement on Sunday, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development said the accusations were part of a smear campaign aimed at discrediting Nigeria during Tinubu’s upcoming engagements with British officials.
The ministry’s response followed a press release by Jupiter Lithium Ltd, which alleged that Nigerian authorities seized its lithium project and transferred control to Chinese operators after revoking its mining licences.
The company’s statement, titled “Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard”, claimed that security operatives escorted Chinese operators to the site and allowed them to begin extracting lithium ore from deposits it said it had discovered and developed.
But the Nigerian government dismissed the claim as “baseless and unfounded”.
“The federal government has no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium,” the ministry said, citing provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007.
It added that under the law, mining licences are not granted directly to foreign companies.
The ministry said the controversy stemmed from the revocation of mineral titles held by Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian firm allegedly linked to Australian national Stephen Davis.
More Read
According to the government, the licences were withdrawn after the company failed to pay statutory annual service fees required under Nigeria’s mining regulations.
Authorities said the outstanding fees amounted to about 2.494 billion naira (roughly $1.6 million), covering several mineral titles for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.
Officials said the company had been notified of the default before the licences were revoked.
The ministry also rejected allegations that the titles had been reassigned to Chinese companies, describing the claim as “a complete fabrication”.
Lithium — a key component in rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems — has become one of the world’s most sought-after minerals as countries accelerate the transition to clean energy.
Nigeria has attracted growing international interest due to significant deposits of the mineral discovered in parts of the country.
More Read
The government said the dispute also reflects its broader effort to clamp down on speculative mining practices.
Officials accused Davis of being involved in several companies operating in Nigeria’s mining sector, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, and Sunrise Minerals Ltd, which they said had acquired licences without carrying out substantial mining operations.
According to the ministry, such speculative licence hoarding prevents genuine investors from developing Nigeria’s mineral resources.
“Speculators obtain licences without undertaking actual mining operations, thereby denying serious investors with genuine capital the opportunity to develop the sector,” the statement said.
The dispute comes amid a global surge in demand for lithium driven by the rapid growth of the electric vehicle industry.
Nigeria has been positioning itself as an emerging player in the critical minerals supply chain, with authorities seeking to attract investment in both mining and local processing.
The government said Chinese firms including Canmax Technologies, Jiuling Lithium, Avatar New Energy Nigeria Company, and Asba have invested more than $1.3 billion in lithium processing facilities in the country since Tinubu took office in 2023.
Officials say the investments form part of efforts to diversify Nigeria’s economy away from oil and expand its mining sector.
However, the sector has also faced challenges including illegal mining, regulatory disputes and weak oversight.
Last year, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps shut down a lithium mining operation in Kebbi state over alleged violations of mining laws.
The ministry said the government would continue to enforce regulations and would not be pressured into reversing reforms.
“Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms by the antics of any individual or company,” the statement said.
Authorities added that the country remains open to investors willing to operate within its legal and regulatory framework as it seeks to develop its growing lithium industry.
