Gold Refinery In Lagos: NEF Allegation A “Parade Of Ignorance In Service Of Mischief” — Ministry Of Solid Minerals

The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has dismissed as false and misleading a statement credited to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), which alleged that the Federal Government sited a gold refinery in Lagos in violation of the federal character principle.
In a statement signed by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Segun Tomori, the Ministry clarified that the Lagos gold refinery is not a Federal Government project, but a 100 per cent privately owned initiative of Kian Smith, a mining company committed to developing Nigeria’s local gold value chain through innovative practices.
“There is no iota of truth in the claim that the Federal Government established or owns a gold refinery in Lagos or anywhere else,” the statement said.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, had made it clear during the announcement of the refinery’s proposed commissioning that multiple gold refineries are being developed across the country, all of which are privately owned by different companies.
The Federal Government congratulated the Founder and Managing Director of Kian Smith, Ms. Nere Emiko, for her resilience and leadership in delivering the project after years of perseverance and enterprise.
According to the Ministry, the refinery is a direct outcome of the Value Addition Policy introduced by the Ministry two years ago, which discourages the export of raw minerals and promotes local processing and manufacturing.
This policy, the statement noted, has already attracted significant investments and job creation nationwide, including:
a $600 million lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State,
a $400 million rare earth minerals plant also in Nasarawa State, and
a $200 million ASBA lithium plant in Abuja.
The Ministry expressed concern over what it described as the declining quality of discourse from the NEF, an organisation once respected for intellectual leadership.
“How could the NEF expect the Federal Government to compel a private company to locate its operations in a particular part of the country, when such decisions are driven by operational and market considerations?” the statement queried.
It added that the failure of the NEF to conduct basic due diligence before issuing its statement amounted to embarrassing ignorance, which could only be interpreted as deliberate mischief and an attempt to sow mistrust.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to creating an enabling environment for private-sector participation in the mining sector and pledged to continue encouraging investors to establish processing and manufacturing plants across Nigeria.
It urged the Northern Elders Forum to turn a new leaf and support the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in building a strong, self-reliant economy that serves the interests of all Nigerians.