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A former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan, has defended the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, against allegations that Nigeria’s mineral resources are being handed over to Chinese interests, describing the claims as false and misleading.
Bamigbetan, responding to an article by Steve Kefas titled “How Nigeria’s Mineral Wealth is Being Handed Over to the Chinese,” said the publication was based on falsehoods, half-truths and misinformation aimed at discrediting the minister and influencing an ongoing legal dispute involving mining licences.
According to him, the controversy centres on the revocation of the mining licences of Basin Mining Limited over its alleged failure to pay statutory annual service fees, which he said increased from more than ₦1.22 billion in 2024 to about ₦2.49 billion before the licences were eventually revoked.
He maintained that Jupiter, which he described as a foreign company not directly involved in the licence transaction, subsequently instituted arbitration proceedings against the Federal Government while allegedly sponsoring media attacks against the minister.
Bamigbetan rejected claims that Alake favours Chinese investors over Western companies, insisting that the minister has visited China only twice on official assignments since assuming office—first with President Bola Tinubu on a state visit and later to attend China Mining Week at the invitation of the Chinese government.
He argued that the minister has attended more mining investment conferences in Europe, South Africa and Australia than in China, including the London Mines and Money Conference, Mining Indaba in Cape Town and the Africa Down Under Conference in Perth.
The former commissioner further stated that Nigeria’s policy of opening the solid minerals sector to foreign investment predates the current administration, tracing it to the enactment of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act and other economic reforms introduced in 1995.
He explained that the reforms permit foreign participation in most sectors of the Nigerian economy, including mining, provided investors comply with the country’s laws and regulatory requirements.
According to Bamigbetan, Alake’s Seven-Point Agenda did not introduce foreign participation but strengthened existing policies by promoting local value addition, mineral processing and stricter enforcement of mining regulations.
He noted that several Chinese companies have responded by establishing mineral processing plants in Nigeria, while some licence holders allegedly failed to develop their mining assets despite having the opportunity to do so.
Bamigbetan also highlighted the long-standing mining cooperation between Nigeria and China, recalling that both countries signed agreements covering geological mapping, mineral exploration, research and technical capacity development years before the present administration assumed office.
He added that Nigeria’s broader economic engagement with China has evolved over several administrations through bilateral investment agreements, infrastructure financing, currency swap arrangements and strategic partnerships designed to attract foreign investment.
The former commissioner stressed that the Federal Government continues to engage investors from Europe, North America and Australia, noting that hundreds of Western companies currently operate across different segments of Nigeria’s mining industry, while international development partners also support reforms in the sector.
Bamigbetan maintained that the ongoing reforms, including stricter enforcement of mining laws, the establishment of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, the deployment of Mining Marshals, and the promotion of local mineral processing, demonstrate the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigeria’s mineral resources while attracting responsible investment from both Western and Asian partners.
