Mining Cadastre Office Launches OneGov Digital Platform

The federal government has recorded a major boost in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector with the launch of the OneGov Enterprise Content Management System at the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) in Abuja.

This is as reforms in the industry have seen its earnings surge beyond N50 billion in 2025 from the N38 billion recorded last year.

The minister of solid minerals development, Dr. Dele Alake, who formally unveiled the digital platform on Friday, said the MCO was the first agency under the ministry to fully deploy the OneGov system, marking a decisive shift from paper-based operations to a secure, automated and efficient digital environment.

Describing the launch as “a monumental step that showcases the new colours of success, progress and efficiency,” Alake said the ministry’s ongoing reforms, anchored on transparency and digitisation, have transformed revenue performance across the sector.

“When we came in, revenue (from MCO) was about N6 billion. We doubled that within a year, and this year we are almost tripling it,” the minister said.

He added that sector-wide revenue rose from about N28 billion in 2023 to over N50 billion in 2025, already exceeding the N38 billion recorded last year.

Alake noted that the Mining Cadastre Office alone generated about N30 billion in 2025, compared with N12 billion in 2024, attributing the growth to innovation, commitment and improved oversight enabled by digital tools.

Reflecting on the impact of digitisation, the minister recalled the era of heavy paperwork in government offices.

“Today, with digitisation, I work from anywhere in the world with my iPad and iPhone. No files, no delays,” he said.

While commending the MCO for eliminating bottlenecks and restoring investor confidence, Alake cautioned that technology must be matched with discipline and a new work ethic to sustain the gains.

He stressed that high-end digital equipment must be carefully handled to protect government investment and ensure long-term efficiency.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, described the MCO as a model for other departments, noting that the OneGov platform provides “a secure digital backbone for modern governance.”

In his address, the director-general of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, Mr. Simon Obadiah Nkom, said the going live of the OneGov system represents a major leap for the agency and the country.

He disclosed that MCO revenue rose from N6.17 billion in 2023 to N12 billion in 2024, and has already surpassed N30 billion in 2025.

Nkom said the platform enables faster approvals, unified document management, traceable transactions, stronger data security and seamless collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies, reinforcing Nigeria’s standing as a competitive and secure mining jurisdiction.

He added that the reforms had earned the MCO recognition and awards for innovation and digitisation.

“This digital transformation underscores our commitment to cultivating a favorable environment for mining investments and supporting Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

“Our digitisation efforts are in perfect harmony with the federal government’s local content policy, as we continually strive to enhance indigenous participation and build capacity within the mining industry,” Nkom said

Representatives of Galaxy Backbone, the Federal Government’s ICT infrastructure provider, praised the MCO for aligning fully with the national digital agenda.

The Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, said the agency is the first under the ministry to go live on the platform and assured of continued technical support through training and technical assistance to maximise the system’s value.

The event featured a live demonstration of the OneGov platform, with stakeholders reaffirming their commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s digital governance framework and sustaining reforms in the solid minerals sector.