MCO, CAC Collaborate On Mining Firms’ Compliance With Returns Filing

The Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) will collaborate to ensure that only registered firms that are prompt with their statutory filings and other activities remain in operation.

This was part of the outcome of a courtesy visit by CAC registrar-general, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), to the MCO director general, Engr Obadiah S. Nkom, at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.

Nkom welcomed the CAC delegation, expressed appreciation for the visit, and affirmed MCO’s readiness to boost collaboration between agencies by providing comprehensive data on registered companies that fully comply with annual return requirements.

The MCO boss commended the CAC’s efforts to promote corporate governance and compliance across sectors. The NMCO is working closely with several other government agencies, including the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), NEITI, NFIU, EFCC, NSCDC, DSS, and the Nigeria Police, amongst others, to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the mining sector.

Engr. Nkom further highlighted the agency’s migration to the digital eMC+ system, launched on November 1, 2022, which he described as a significant step toward enhancing accessibility, automation, and regulatory effectiveness.

He noted that the efforts of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, to reposition the mining sector yielded fruits, as the agency generated an unprecedented N10.9bn between January and April 2025.

According to a statement by the head of press at NMCO, Mrs Okeke Grace Amara, the MCO boss lauded President Bola Tinubu and Dr. Alake for leading the charge to redirect focus to the nation’s solid minerals, stressing that reforms since the advent of the Tinubu administration have made Nigeria’s mining sector globally competitive.

On his part, the CAC chief executive stressed the need for enhanced compliance among mining companies.

He noted that the collaboration between MCO and CAC is rooted in law. Both agencies were created by statutory mandates: the CAC under Section 8 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) and the 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 licenses and privileges granted by the government,” Magaji stated.

He asserted that companies operating in the mining sector must comply with CAC regulations, including the timely filing of annual returns, to qualify for and retain mining licenses.

He added that all licenses issued by MCO are to be granted only to entities duly registered and active in CAC’s records.

Both agencies discussed modalities for data sharing, regulatory enforcement, and real-time information exchange to enhance statutory frameworks and ensure that all mining companies adhere strictly to legal and procedural requirements.