Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has raised an alarm over an alleged plan by a mining company to launch a smear campaign against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his visit to the United Kingdom.
The ministry made the claim in a statement issued by its media aide, Segun Tomori, who said authorities had uncovered plans by a firm identified as Jupiter Ltd to circulate negative reports aimed at discrediting the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in the mining sector.
According to Tomori, the alleged plot is intended to undermine the administration’s image on the international stage during the president’s state visit.
“It has come to the attention of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development that an embattled mining firm, Jupiter Ltd, plans to orchestrate a campaign of calumny against the Federal Government of Nigeria during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu to the United Kingdom,” the statement said.
More Read
The ministry explained that the development followed a recent publication claiming that Nigeria seized a British lithium project under armed guard—an allegation officials strongly rejected as false and misleading.
Tomori stressed that the Federal Government has no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium.
He further clarified that Nigeria’s mining regulations do not allow mineral licences to be granted directly to foreign companies, noting that such permits can only be issued to locally registered entities in accordance with national laws.
More Read
The ministry maintained that the government remains committed to transparency and due process in the solid minerals sector, while warning against attempts to spread misinformation that could undermine investor confidence and the country’s reform agenda.
Officials also reiterated that ongoing reforms are aimed at strengthening regulatory oversight, boosting investor trust, and ensuring that Nigeria benefits fully from its vast mineral resources.
