The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has denied claims by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that the Federal Government breached the federal character principle by siting a gold refinery in Lagos.
The clarification came in a statement on Sunday in Abuja from Mr. Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Dr. Dele Alake.
The ministry said the NEF misrepresented the minister’s comments regarding the planned inauguration of a gold refinery and broader reforms in the solid minerals sector.
“There was nowhere in the Minister’s announcement that the Federal Government owned or established a gold refinery in Lagos or anywhere else,” Tomori said. He added that other gold refineries are being planned across the country, all privately owned by different companies.
The refinery cited by the NEF, Tomori explained, is a private initiative by Kian Smith, a wholly privately owned mining company, intended to boost Nigeria’s local gold industry. “The Federal Government does not direct private companies on where to locate their businesses,” he said, noting that such decisions are based on commercial and operational considerations.
Tomori praised the company’s founder and Managing Director, Ms. Nere Emiko, for delivering a flagship project after years of perseverance and leadership. He said the refinery aligns with the solid minerals sector’s value-addition policy, which aims to discourage raw mineral exports and promote local processing.
The ministry urged the public to distinguish between government projects and private sector investments, reiterating its commitment to creating an enabling environment for solid minerals development across Nigeria.
