Something Is Wrong With Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office Under Obadiah Nkom

Obadiah Simon Nkom, the Director-General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, an agency under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, has all the qualifications of a mining engineer and manager. He has had certification at home and abroad including Mining Engineering and Metallurgy, Management, Geo-database, Geographical Information System and Public Administration.

His expertise seems to align with President Bola Tinubu administration’s focus on curbing illegal mining, formalizing artisanal activities, and attracting foreign investments.

The Cadastral office is responsible administering and managing mineral titles in Nigeria, ensuring a transparent and efficient process of granting mining licenses and permits.

But there are indications that all may not be well in the agency under Nkom. This reporter had a shocking experience with officials of the agency in the course of pursuing a story involving the agency. But let me start with recent developments that have potential to undermine the credibility of the mining sector and discourage foreign investments.

In April, some traditional rulers and community leaders from Ngaski Local Government Area of Kebbi State addressed a press conference in Abuja over claims by ELTAHDAM Exploration Limited, that it was granted an exploration license and mining lease on their land.

The bone of contention was that another company—Three Crown Mines Limited—had already secured the community’s consent in line with the mining regulation, and secured an exploration and mining lease over the same land earlier.

The community disowned ELTAHDAM Exploration Limited, warning it never to set foot on their land. The community wrote a petition to the cadastre office and copied the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development, the National Security Adviser and the Inspector General of Police, among others.

Just last week, there was another report of a mining dispute in Nasarawa State where two companies clashed over lease ownership. Capital Apex Synergy Global Services and DMA Global Ventures are at war over the ownership of two mining lease sites in Rafingaba, Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The dispute has allegedly raised tensions and leaders of the community are calling for President Tinubu’s intervention.

The conflicts have further drawn attention to the broader concerns about regulatory enforcement and investor protection in the country’s solid minerals industry. It has prompted some stakeholders to ask whether it is regulatory confusion, enforcement challenges or corruption?

I decided to investigate possible corruption in the issuance of mining licenses by the cadastre office. I visited the agency’s office at Lobito Crescent in Abuja and met the then head of the press office, Grace Onyekwere who asked that I write a formal letter to the DG. I did and submitted the letter at the DG office on May 5, 2025.

I shared a copy of the duly acknowledged letter with Mrs Onyekwere who asked me to come back after one week. When I called her she told me she was not in the office and that i should come another time. I couldn’t go to see her for another week because I was indisposed and she never called or sent a text.
When I was ready to see her, I called her phone but she didn’t pick it up, so I sent a text message. She replied that she had been redeployed to another place and gave me the name of the new director of press for the Cadastre Office, Mr Osuji. She promised that Mr Osuji would attend to me.

When I visited the Cadastre Office again two weeks ago, I met Mr Osuji who told me he didn’t know anything about my request to interview the DG on issuance of mining licenses and leases, and the confusion that is now being witnessed in the sector. He said Mrs Onyekwere didn’t hand over anything like that to her.

I showed him a copy of the letter but he insisted it had not been “minuted” to his office and could not treat any letter not sent to him for action. I requested that he use his office to help find out what is happening to the letter more than four weeks after I submitted it. But Mr Osuji insisted it was not his business to find out about the letter and demanded I write a new letter!

I felt so incredulous that I asked why would I be asked to write another letter to the same office on the same thing? I told him it was not right and I would not do it. I said I would rather go to the DG’s office alone if he’s not willing to go with me to find out what was happening to my letter.

I went to the DG’s office and the letter was traced to the office of one of the DG’s special advisers. I went to his office but one of his staff told me he didn’t come to work that day because he went to the hospital. So, I told him what brought me and he acknowledged the letter was with them. He asked me to go and come back the next day, promising that the letter would be sent to the director of the press office.

Thereafter I came to inform Mr Osuji about my findings and what the office of the DG’s adviser said. Mr Osuji said I shouldn’t come back the next day because he was working on some other assignments, and asked for another week to clear his table before treating my case. I obliged.

But in a shocking twist of events, when I called him last Tuesday after one week, he told me my letter had not arrived at his desk yet and there was nothing he could do! I was scandalised! I asked him what was wrong with him checking at the DG’s office? He said they don’t operate that way and I asked if they were not working for the same organisation.

“Of Course we’re working for the same organisation but the letter has not reached my table,” he insisted. That was when I concluded that something was wrong with that agency. The staff under the DG appeared to be working at cross purposes. This in itself may be one of the factors responsible for the confusion in the sector.

It’s time for the DG to look inwards and find out what is happening under his nose.

– Tajudeen Suleiman is an Abuja based Investigative Journalist. He can be reached via: [email protected]

Disclaimer: This article is entirely the opinion of the writer and does not represent the views of The Whistler.