Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has disclosed that legal mining operators owe the federal government trillions of naira in unpaid royalties and taxes.
During a meeting with Mohammed Bello, the chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Alake emphasized the government’s commitment to recovering these unpaid funds.
Alake outlined measures implemented by the present administration to address the issue, including engaging consultants to block leakages and recover the owed funds.
The minister stressed the need to transform the mining sector, ensuring significant contributions to the nation’s GDP and widespread benefits to Nigerians.
He revealed the shocking discovery that legal mining operators owe trillions of naira in unpaid royalties and taxes.
According to him, government is determined to recover these funds and is in the process of engaging internationally certified auditors to automate the entire revenue collection process. Alake reiterated the government’s commitment to sanitizing the mining environment, making it a substantial contributor to the nation’s revenue, and aiming to rival oil in its contribution to Nigeria’s GDP.
He expressed readiness to collaborate with states and host communities to maximize the mining sector’s potential for the benefit of all Nigerians, emphasizing the focus on ensuring that the industry translates into greater good for the majority of the population.
