The Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, NMCO, has reiterated its commitment to revoke unused mining licenses across the country.
The agency’s DG, Engr Obediah Simon Nkom, during his presentation at the just concluded Nigerian Mining Week, said one critical way the agency could contribute to the growth of the sector is by issuance of licences and ensuring that they are being operated.
According to him, mining titles that are left dormant reflect lack of capacity which is a pre-condition for granting the license, and according to the agency’s policy of ‘Use it or lose it’, they have to be revoked and reissued to potential investors that can put the license to use for job and wealth creation and economic growth.
He said, “There are two ways you can lose your license. First of all, non payment or annual service fees, and the second one is dormant activities, in addition to other obligations as spelt out clearly in the Act. That is why one of our key principles in the Mining Cadastre is ‘Use it or Lose it’.
According to him, for a license to be inactive for a period of 6 to 12 months, perhaps because of funding or other factors, the agency has no choice but to act in accordance with the law, adding, however, that the agency can also work with a licensee who has genuine reasons for his inactivity, but that such a licensee has to write to the agency for consideration.
He said the MCO is fully on track with the Renewed Hope agenda of the federal government, citing the critical projects, completed or ongoing, by the agency such as the online technology called electronic Mining Cadastre plus, eMC+, which was launched a year ago.
“We now operate online, and what that simply means is that the process is very transparent. What I see in the mining industry is what you see in your homes, or even in Canada or anywhere in the world.”
He said the transparency and accountability engendered by the new system boost investors’ confidence and, by extension, investments in the sector.
Engr Nkom equally noted that since the unveiling of eMC+, the office has witnessed an exponential increase in mineral title application submission, adding that a total of 7,310 mineral title applications and modifications had been received.
“2,764 of these applications, submitted by 977 companies was done online, at the convenience of the applicants, without any assistance from MCO; while 4,546 of the applications was submitted by 2,053 companies online via MCO assistance (at the MCO). Following from the above, currently, eMC+ is at 38% adoption by mining sector stakeholders,” he explained.
According to the MCO boss, in view of the fact that not all prospective licensees are computer friendly, zonal offices were established for those who may need assistance to go there.
