Company Plots To Discredit Nigeria Ahead Of Tinubu’s UK Visit – FG

The Federal Government has accused Jupiter Ltd of planning what it described as a “campaign of calumny” against Nigeria during the forthcoming state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom.

The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development said the alleged move was aimed at discrediting ongoing reforms in the mining sector and misleading the international community over the revocation of some mineral licences.

In a statement on Sunday, March 15, the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, dismissed claims that Nigeria seized a British lithium project under armed guard, describing the allegation as false and misleading.

Tomori said the Federal Government had no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium, stressing that Nigerian mining laws do not permit foreign companies to directly hold mineral titles.

“It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development that an embattled mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, plans to orchestrate a campaign of calumny against the Federal Government of Nigeria during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu to the United Kingdom,” the statement read.

“Earlier in the week, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Kehinde Bamigbetan, authored a response to what we described as a tissue of falsehoods sponsored by Jupiter Ltd in a publication titled ‘Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.’

“Our response, titled ‘In Nigeria’s Mining Sector, The Law Is No Respecter of Persons,’ exposed the activities of one Steve Davis and Hamish MacDonald, whose enterprise in the mining sector eventually met the full weight of the law.”

The ministry said the controversy followed the revocation of mineral titles belonging to Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company linked to Australian national Steve Davis.

According to the government, the revocation was due to the company’s failure to meet statutory financial obligations under Nigeria’s mining regulations.

Tomori said Basin Mining Ltd lost the titles after failing to pay statutory annual service fees amounting to ₦2.494 billion for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.

The unpaid fees covered mineral titles 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML and 40533ML, which were revoked after due notice was served on the company in line with existing regulations.

The ministry also rejected claims that the licences were reassigned to a Chinese firm, describing the allegation as a fabrication intended to mislead the public and the international community.

It further alleged that Davis had interests in several mining companies operating in Nigeria, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.

The ministry said such arrangements were often used by speculators to acquire mineral titles without undertaking actual mining operations, adding that the practice had contributed to dormant mining licences and illegal mining activities in the country.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms by the antics of any individual or company,” Tomori said.

“Our commitment to transforming the mining sector into a major contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product is unwavering.”

Naija News reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is scheduled to visit the United Kingdom from March 18 to 19, 2026, following an invitation from Charles III, who will host the Nigerian leader at Windsor Castle.

The visit is expected to focus on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between both countries, including cooperation in trade, investment, security and migration.