Henceforth, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS) will be responsible for collecting mineral royalties from mining operators nationwide, effective January 1, 2026. This follows a meeting on April 2, 2026, in Abuja between Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake and NRS chairman Zacch Adedeji. The decision stems from the Nigeria Tax Laws 2025, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on June 26, 2025, which empower NRS to administer all federally collectable revenues.
The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development will retain its technical and regulatory role, providing geological data, mineral pricing information, and sector coordination. A joint statement endorsed by Alake and Adedeji confirmed the new framework and outlined plans for a nationwide sensitisation programme to guide operators on royalty filing and payments. Both agencies will collaborate on a digital royalty administration system and hold regular technical sessions to resolve implementation issues.
Dare Adekanmbi, Special Adviser to the NRS chairman, disclosed the details in a statement issued Friday. Operators are urged to comply with filing and payment obligations under the new regime. The institutions pledged transparency and alignment in executing the transition.
Shifting mineral royalty collection to the NRS places Dele Alake's ministry in a purely technical role, a quiet demotion masked as coordination. With Zacch Adedeji now controlling the revenue tap, the real power in the sector has visibly shifted to the revenue service. For mining operators, this means dealing with a more centralised, tax-driven bureaucracy from 2026. Whether this improves transparency or just adds layers to compliance remains to be seen.
