By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
CLAIMS OVER the siting of a gold refinery in Lagos have drawn a response from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) following a statement attributed to the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and signed by its spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere.
The ministry said the allegation that the Federal Government (FG) established a gold refinery in Lagos and violated the principle of federal character was false, according to a statement signed by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development.
It also stated that the gold refinery in Lagos is an initiative of Kian Smith, described as a 100 percent privately owned mining company, with the aim of facilitating the development of the local gold industry through innovative practices.
It said there was no statement by the MSMD indicating that the FG owned or established a gold refinery in Lagos or anywhere else.
The ministry said the MSMD, Dr Dele Alake, made it clear during the announcement of the proposed commissioning of the refinery that other gold refineries were in development across the country and that all were privately owned by different companies.
It also added that the FG congratulated the founder and Managing Director of the company, Nere Emiko, for delivering the project after years of perseverance, enterprise and leadership.
Stating that the refinery reflects the response of the solid minerals sector to the Value Addition policy introduced by the MSMD two years ago, the ministry said the policy discourages the export of raw minerals and promotes local processing and manufacturing.
It said the policy had stimulated the conversion of raw mineral exports into processing factories across the country, generating inflows of foreign capital and providing thousands of jobs.
It further listed projects including a $600 million lithium plant in Nasarawa State, a $400 million rare earth plant also in Nasarawa State, and a $200 million ASBA lithium plant in Abuja.
The ministry also expressed shock at what it described as the decline in the quality of leadership of the NEF, stating that the organisation had moved away from its earlier role in serious discourse.
It questioned how the forum could expect the FG to compel a private company to locate its operations in a particular part of the country, noting that companies determine locations based on their operational and marketing strategies.
The MSMD said its policy reforms over the past two years had created an enabling environment for private sector participation in mining and that the Lagos gold refinery and others demonstrated the impact of the reforms.
It added that it would continue to encourage mining companies to establish processing and manufacturing plants across the country and urged the NEF to support efforts to build a stronger and self-reliant economy.
Alake Re-Elected AMSG Chair
MEANWHILE, LEADERSHIP continuity at the Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG) has followed the re-election of Nigeria’s MSMD as chairman of the continental forum of African ministers responsible for minerals and mining.
A release signed by Segun Tomori on 18 January 2026, also noted that Dr Alake was re-elected at the 2026 Annual General Meeting of the AMSG held on the sidelines of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The forum was described as a continental ministerial platform committed to coordinated action aimed at maximising value addition and beneficiation from Africa’s mineral resources.
Dr Alake was first unanimously elected as the pioneer chairman of the group in 2024 during the same conference.
The release stated that the meeting approved the creation of additional leadership positions as part of efforts to strengthen the institutional framework of the group as these include Vice Chairman, Deputy Secretary General and Financial Secretary, with a resolution that the positions be equitably distributed across Africa’s sub regions to promote inclusion and regional balance.
It stated that the positions of Chairman and Vice Chairman are elective and reserved for serving ministers, while other positions are appointed by member states to which they are zoned.
Under the new structure, Dr Alake continues as Chairman of the 24-member forum, representing West Africa.
The Minister of Mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Hon Louis Watum Kabamba, was elected Vice-Chairman representing Central Africa. Uganda retains the position of Secretary General representing East Africa, Mauritania was appointed Deputy Secretary General for North Africa, while South Africa was zoned the position of Financial Secretary.
The release said the Annual General Meeting ratified a two year tenure for the executive committee and agreed that zoned positions belong to member countries, with successors to serving ministers automatically assuming those roles.
In his acceptance remarks, Dr Alake expressed gratitude to his colleagues for the renewed confidence, stressing the need for African countries to collaborate to unlock economic potential through solid minerals development. He called for agreement on minimum financial contributions by member states and refinement of the group’s budgeting framework.
“Once member states contribute, accountability will naturally follow. This will enhance transparency and strengthen the credibility of the AMSG before the global community,” he said.
The meeting also resolved to hold quarterly ministerial meetings and ratified the establishment of standing committees including Legal, Institutional Affairs and Human Resources, Sustainability and Responsible Mining, and Finance, Budget and Resource Mobilisation. It further agreed to take steps towards hosting a global minerals conference in Africa similar to the Future Minerals Forum.
Earlier, speaking at a Leadership Roundtable themed Africa Unlocking Infrastructure Funding for Copper Belt Production, Dr Alake said mineral production alone could not deliver lasting economic transformation without reliable infrastructure, coordinated policies and deliberate value addition strategies.
He cited the Lobito Corridor as an example of aligned rail, ports, energy systems and policies, and identified other corridors including the Lagos Abidjan Corridor, the Walvis Bay Corridor and the Dar es Salaam and Central Corridors.
“The real question is not whether Africa has corridors, but whether these corridors are being financed, governed and structured to support industrial growth, regional integration and long term stability,” the Minister said.
He said addressing issues such as enforceable offtake arrangements, harmonised cross border regulatory frameworks, alignment of infrastructure planning and clear pathways for processing and logistics would be critical.
Also, he added that the broader vision of the group is to ensure mineral infrastructure is strategically designed, responsibly financed and efficiently managed.
