By Ayo Ayodele
The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has dismissed claims by the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) that the Federal Government violated the principle of federal character by siting a gold refinery in Lagos.
In a statement on Sunday, the ministry described the allegation as false and misleading, stressing that the gold refinery referenced by the NEF is a 100 per cent privately owned initiative and not a Federal Government project.
The allegation was contained in a statement signed by NEF spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, which criticised the purported location of a government-owned gold refinery in Lagos.
Reacting, the ministry clarified that the refinery is the initiative of Kian Smith, a private mining company established to promote the development of Nigeria’s local gold industry through value addition and innovative practices.
“The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, never stated that the Federal Government owned or established a gold refinery in Lagos or anywhere else,” the ministry said, adding that several other gold refineries are currently being developed across the country by different private investors.
The ministry congratulated the founder and Managing Director of Kian Smith, Ms. Nere Emiko, for successfully delivering the project after years of perseverance and enterprise.
According to the statement, the refinery aligns with the ministry’s value addition policy, which discourages the export of raw minerals and promotes local processing and manufacturing within Nigeria.
The policy, the ministry said, has already attracted significant investments, including a $600 million lithium plant in Nasarawa State, a $400 million rare earth minerals plant also in Nasarawa, and a $200 million ASBA lithium plant in Abuja, collectively creating thousands of jobs and boosting foreign capital inflows.
The ministry questioned the basis of NEF’s criticism, noting that the Federal Government cannot compel private companies to locate their facilities in specific regions, as such decisions are driven by operational and market considerations.
It reaffirmed its commitment to creating an enabling environment for private sector participation in the mining industry and urged stakeholders to support ongoing reforms aimed at building a stronger and more self-reliant economy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The statement was signed by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development.