The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has dismissed as false and misleading claims by the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) alleging that the Federal Government sited a gold refinery in Lagos in violation of the federal character principle.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry said the allegation, credited to the NEF and signed by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, was based on misinformation and a clear misunderstanding of facts surrounding the refinery project.
According to the Ministry, the gold refinery in question is not owned, established, or funded by the Federal Government but is a private-sector initiative of Kian Smith Company, a wholly Nigerian-owned mining firm.
The project, it explained, was conceived to support the development of Nigeria’s local gold industry through innovation and value addition.
“The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, never announced the establishment of a Federal Government-owned gold refinery in Lagos or any other part of the country,” the statement clarified.
“On the contrary, he was clear and emphatic that the refinery is privately owned and that other privately driven gold refineries are currently in development across different parts of the country.”
The Ministry congratulated the founder and Managing Director of Kian Smith Company, Ms. Nere Emiko, for successfully delivering the project after years of perseverance and investment, describing the refinery as a reflection of enterprise, leadership, and confidence in Nigeria’s mining sector.
It further noted that the refinery aligns with the Ministry’s value addition policy introduced two years ago, which discourages the export of raw minerals and promotes local processing and manufacturing.
According to the Ministry, the policy has already attracted significant foreign direct investment and created thousands of jobs nationwide.
Citing examples, the Ministry listed major investments in the sector, including a 600 million-dollar lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State, a 400 million-dollar rare earth metals plant also in Nasarawa, and a 200 million-dollar lithium plant in Abuja, all driven by private investors.
The Ministry expressed concern over what it described as a decline in the quality of public commentary from the NEF, questioning how an organisation of its stature could fail to conduct basic due diligence before making public claims.
It stressed that the Federal Government cannot compel private companies to locate their operations in specific regions, as such decisions are guided by operational, logistical, and market considerations necessary for business viability.
Reaffirming its commitment to ongoing reforms, the Ministry stated that it would continue to create an enabling environment for private sector participation in the solid minerals sector and encourage the establishment of more processing and manufacturing plants across the country.
The statement urged the NEF to support ongoing economic reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and to contribute constructively to national development efforts aimed at building a stronger and more self-reliant Nigerian economy.
The statement was signed by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development.
