In a strategic move to enhance transparency, accountability, and ease of doing business in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) have entered into a collaborative partnership aimed at driving improved regulatory compliance among mining stakeholders across the country.
The partnership was formalized during a high-level meeting held in Abuja, where top officials from both agencies agreed to harmonize data, streamline licensing processes, and enforce compliance with corporate registration requirements for entities operating within Nigeria’s mining ecosystem.
Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), emphasized that the collaboration will help ensure that only duly registered companies with verifiable corporate identities are granted mining titles and operate legally in the sector. “We are leveraging inter-agency cooperation to sanitize the mining sector and curb the activities of shell companies and illegal operators,” Magaji stated.
On his part, the Director-General of the Mining Cadastre Office, Engr. Obadiah Nkom, described the partnership as a proactive step to reinforce due diligence and eliminate regulatory bottlenecks. He noted that aligning company data with CAC records will strengthen investor confidence and promote responsible resource management in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda for the solid minerals sector.
The collaboration will also involve the integration of CAC’s Beneficial Ownership Register with the MCO’s mining title database, allowing for real-time verification of ownership structures—a key requirement under Nigeria’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) compliance framework. This move aligns with global anti-corruption standards and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.
By deepening transparency and regulatory enforcement, the two agencies aim to curb revenue losses, discourage fronting practices, and ensure that legitimate operators benefit from Nigeria’s vast mineral wealth.
Industry stakeholders, including mining associations and civil society organisations, have applauded the move, describing it as long overdue. They urged both agencies to sustain the momentum and ensure that the collaboration translates into measurable improvements in sector governance.
As Nigeria seeks to diversify its economy beyond oil, the solid minerals sector is receiving renewed attention from policymakers. The CAC-MCO partnership marks a pivotal step in strengthening institutional frameworks to support responsible and sustainable mining practices across the country.
