Nigeria Accuses Jupit Ltd of Discrediting Ahead of UK Visit

The Federal Government of Nigeria has accused Jupit Ltd of planning to discredit the country ahead of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom. Segun Tomori, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, dismissed claims that Nigeria seized a British lithium project, labeling the allegations as false and misleading.

The controversy arose following the revocation of mining licenses belonging to Basin Mine Ltd, a Nigerian company linked to Australian national Steve Davi, due to the company's failure to meet statutory financial obligations. Specifically, Basin Mine Ltd lost its licenses for failing to pay a statutory annual service fee of 2.494 billion Naira for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

Tomori emphasized that Nigerian mining law prohibits foreign companies from directly holding mining titles and rejected claims that the licenses were reassigned to a Chinese firm. The government aims to counter misinformation and strengthen international relations during Tinubu's visit, which is expected to focus on diplomatic and economic cooperation.