FG Denies Siting Gold Refinery In Lagos
The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has dismissed claims by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, that the Federal Government sited a gold refinery in Lagos in violation of the federal character principle, describing the allegation as false and misleading.
The ministry said the claim, contained in a statement signed by NEF spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, did not reflect the facts and was based on a misrepresentation of comments attributed to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the Special Assistant to the Minister, Mr Segun Tomori, said Dr Alake never announced that the Federal Government owned or established a gold refinery in Lagos or in any other part of the country.
Tomori said there was nowhere in the minister’s announcement where it was stated that the Federal Government sited a gold refinery in Lagos.
He said the minister was clear, concise and emphatic that the proposed refinery to be inaugurated was privately owned and that other gold refineries were being developed across the country by different private companies.
According to him, the newly established gold refinery is an initiative of Kian Smith, a fully privately owned mining company, aimed at developing Nigeria’s local gold industry through innovative practices.
He explained that the Federal Government does not compel private companies to locate their operations in any particular part of the federation, as each company determines its location based on operational and marketing strategies to ensure profitability.
Tomori said the Federal Government only acknowledged the perseverance, enterprise and leadership of the company’s founder and Managing Director, Ms Nere Emiko, for delivering a flagship project after years of effort.
He said the refinery aligns with the value-addition policy introduced in the solid minerals sector to discourage the export of raw minerals and promote local processing and manufacturing.
According to him, the policy has led to the establishment of several processing plants across the country, attracting significant foreign investment and creating thousands of jobs for Nigerians.
He listed projects stimulated by the policy to include a 600 million dollar lithium plant in Nasarawa State, a 400 million dollar rare earth plant also in Nasarawa State and a 200 million dollar ASBA lithium plant in Abuja.
Tomori said the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, through sustained policy reforms, has continued to create an enabling environment for private sector participation in the mining sector over the past two years.
He said the Lagos gold refinery and similar projects were evidence of the effectiveness of the reforms being implemented in the solid minerals sector.
“The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development shall continue to encourage more mining companies to establish processing and manufacturing plants across the country.
“We urge NEF to turn a new leaf and join the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to build a stronger and more self-reliant economy that meets the needs of the Nigerian people,” he said.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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