From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) are set to strengthen their collaboration to ensure that only duly registered and compliant mining companies operate in Nigeria.
This was announced during a courtesy visit by CAC Registrar-General Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, to MCO Director General Engr. Obadiah S. Nkom at MCO’s headquarters in Abuja.
Engr Nkom welcomed the CAC delegation, expressing gratitude for the visit and affirming MCO’s commitment to enhanced cooperation. He promised to provide comprehensive data on companies fully compliant with annual return requirements. Nkom praised CAC’s efforts in promoting corporate governance and noted MCO’s partnerships with agencies like the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), NEITI, NFIU, EFCC, NSCDC, DSS, and Nigeria Police to ensure transparency and efficiency in the mining sector.
He highlighted MCO’s digital eMC+ system, launched on November 1, 2022, as a major step toward improving accessibility and regulatory effectiveness. Nkom credited reforms led by Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dr Dele Alake for generating N10.9 billion in revenue from January to April 2025, making Nigeria’s mining sector globally competitive. He also commended President Bola Tinubu for prioritising solid minerals.
CAC Registrar-General Magaji stressed the need for stricter compliance among mining companies, noting that both agencies operate under legal mandates—CAC under Section 8 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and MCO under Section 5 of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act. “We are here to strengthen collaboration and enforce compliance in line with the provisions of the law. We want to ensure that only companies with active and legal standing benefit from licences and privileges granted by the government,” he stated.
Magaji emphasised that mining companies must comply with CAC regulations, including timely filing of annual returns, to qualify for and retain MCO-issued licenses.
Both agencies agreed to explore data sharing, regulatory enforcement, and real-time information exchange to ensure mining companies adhere to legal and procedural requirements.
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