The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has dismissed allegations that he is handing Nigeria’s mineral resources over to Chinese interests, describing the claims as false, misleading and part of a deliberate campaign to discredit his leadership.

The denial was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan, who was responding to a publication titled “How Nigeria’s Mineral Wealth is Being Handed Over to the Chinese” by Steve Kefas.

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Bamigbetan said the allegations were linked to the Federal Government’s revocation of mining licences belonging to Basin Mining Limited, an alleged Nigerian subsidiary of British-Australian firm Jupiter, after the company failed to pay statutory annual service fees. According to him, the unpaid fees rose from ₦1.223 billion to ₦2.494 billion before the licences were revoked.

He explained that Jupiter subsequently approached an international arbitration court while allegedly mounting a campaign to pressure the ministry into reversing the decision. The presidential aide also rejected claims that Alake favoured Chinese investors, noting that the minister had engaged investors from Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia, and had visited China only twice—once during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit and later for the China Mining Week 2025.

The media adviser stressed that Nigeria’s engagement with China in the mining sector predates the current administration and is consistent with the country’s long-standing investment policy, which welcomes investors from across the world. He noted that more than 300 companies from Europe, America, Canada and Australia currently operate in Nigeria’s mining industry under existing regulations. Bamigbetan added that the Tinubu administration’s priority is to promote local value addition by requiring mining companies to process minerals within Nigeria rather than export raw materials. He also highlighted ongoing reforms, including the establishment of the Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, deployment of Mining Marshals, commissioning of mineral processing facilities and stricter enforcement of mining regulations, insisting that the reforms are aimed at repositioning the sector for sustainable economic growth and responsible investment.