In a statement on Sunday, Segun Tomori, special assistant on media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the company was allegedly preparing to circulate misleading information following a report titled “Nigeria Seizes British Lithium Project Under Armed Guard.”
The publication claimed Nigerian authorities had taken control of a lithium project linked to the firm and handed it over to Chinese operators.
Tomori rejected the claim, saying the government has no relationship with any company operating under the name Jupiter Lithium.
“We made it unequivocally clear that the allegations are baseless and unfounded. The Federal Government, through the Ministry and the Nigeria Mining Cadastral Office (NMCO), has no legal or contractual relationship with any company known as Jupiter Lithium, as the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act (NMMA 2007) expressly prohibits the granting of mining licences to foreign companies,” he said.
According to the government, the controversy stems from the cancellation of mineral titles held by Basin Mining Ltd, a Nigerian company linked to Australian national Steve Davis.
Tomori said the licences were withdrawn after the company failed to pay statutory annual service fees required under Nigeria’s mining regulations.
“The revocation was done after due notice was served on the company in line with extant laws on default in payment of annual service fees,” he said.
“Hence, the mineral titles were revoked due to failure to pay statutory annual service fees amounting to Two Billion, Four Hundred and Ninety-Four Million Naira (₦2,494,000,000) for mineral titles 45454ML, 45117ML, 45118ML, 40532ML, and 40533ML for the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years.”
The ministry also dismissed claims that the licences were reassigned to a Chinese operator.
“Jupiter, though unknown to the mining authorities, peddled falsehoods by claiming that its titles were revoked in favour of a Chinese firm. This is a complete fabrication!” Tomori said.
In a statement issued on 12 March, Stephen Davis, chairman of Jupiter Lithium Ltd, alleged that Nigerian authorities had revoked the company’s mining rights and allowed Chinese operators to take control of the project.
The firm said it had spent years exploring and developing what it described as a major lithium deposit in Nigeria after securing mining rights in 2006. It also claimed security personnel escorted Chinese operators to the site following the revocation, allowing them to begin extracting lithium ore.
Jupiter warned that the dispute could raise questions about investor protection in Nigeria and potentially affect the country’s efforts to attract Western investment into its mining sector.
Nigeria’s government rejected the allegations and said the dispute was strictly about regulatory compliance.
Tomori also alleged that Davis is linked to several companies operating in Nigeria’s mining industry, including Comet Minerals Ltd, Basin Mining Ltd, Range Mining Ltd, Northern Numero Ltd, Sunrise Minerals Ltd and Iron Ore Mining Ltd.
Authorities say some operators obtain mineral titles but fail to develop them, a practice that limits opportunities for serious investors and contributes to illegal mining.
“Such practices worsen Nigeria’s challenge of illegal mining, as speculators obtain licences without undertaking actual mining operations, thereby denying serious investors with genuine capital the opportunity to develop the sector,” Tomori said.
The dispute comes as global demand for lithium continues to rise due to its critical role in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage technologies.
Countries are increasingly competing for access to the mineral as the transition to cleaner energy accelerates. Nigeria has attracted growing investor interest after lithium deposits were identified across several central and northern states.
The government has been introducing reforms aimed at tightening oversight of mineral licences, encouraging local processing and attracting long-term investment into the sector as part of efforts to diversify the economy beyond oil.
Despite the dispute, officials said the reforms will continue.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria cannot and will not be intimidated or blackmailed into abandoning reforms by the antics of any individual or company,” Tomori said.
He added that Nigeria remains open to investors willing to operate within its legal and regulatory framework, noting that incentives such as tax waivers on imported mining equipment and the repatriation of profits are designed to support responsible investment.
