By:Buisinessday

The Federal Government through the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), has said that only companies that are duly registered with up-to-date licence renewal and statutory filings will remain in mining operation.

The warning was part of inter-agency discussion held when Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, Registrar-General of Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), paid a courtesy visit to Obadiah Nkom, Director General of NMCO at the Agency’s Headquarters in Abuja last week Thursday.

Welcoming the CAC delegation, Nkom expressed appreciation for the visit and affirmed MCO’s readiness to boost the collaboration of both Agencies by providing comprehensive data on registered companies that are in full compliance with annual return requirements.

The MCO boss commended the CAC’s efforts in promoting corporate governance and compliance across sectors, noting that the NMCO would be working closely with several other Government’s Agencies, including the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), NEITI, NFIU, EFCC, NSCDC, DSS, and the Nigeria Police, among others, to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the mining sector.

Nkom further highlighted the Agency’s migration to the digital eMC+ system, launched on November 1, 2022, which he described as a significant step toward enhancing accessibility, automation, and regulatory effectiveness.

He noted that “the efforts of Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, to reposition the mining sector is yielding fruits as the Agency generated an unprecedented N10.9bn between January and April 2025.”

The MCO boss lauded President Bola Tinubu and Alake for leading the charge to redirect focus to the nation’s solid minerals, stressing that reforms since the advent of the Tinubu administration had made Nigeria’s mining sector globally competitive.

Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, the Registrar-General of CAC, emphasised the need for enhanced compliance among mining companies.

He noted that the collaboration between MCO and CAC is rooted in law, with both Agencies created by statutory mandates, the CAC under Section 8 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), and the MCO under Section 5 of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.

“We are here to strengthen collaboration and enforce compliance in line with the provisions of the law. We want to ensure that only companies with active and legal standing benefit from licenses and privileges granted by the government,” Magaji stated.

He emphasised that companies operating in the mining sector must be compliant with CAC regulations, including timely filing of annual returns, in order to qualify for and retain mining licenses.

He added that all licenses issued by MCO are to be granted only to entities that are duly registered and active in CAC’s records.

Both Agencies discussed modalities for data sharing, regulatory enforcement, and real-time information exchange to enhance statutory frameworks and ensure that all mining companies adhere strictly to legal and procedural requirements.