Benin is very close to a model mining code; it provides great security of tenure and exclusivity through the mine development process and is let down, in particular, by two key weaknesses, namely, the requirement to negotiate a mining contract with the state and the wide power of the state to revoke a mining licence. Nevertheless, there is nothing more fundamental to a miner than ensuring certainty of commercial terms upon discovery and the right to merely negotiate a contract upon discovery is not the kind of certainty upon which a miner will rest comfortably.