Mon. Mar 9th, 2026

FG

Lagos Gold Refinery is privately owned, FG clarifies, dismisses NEF’s Federal Character violation claim

By Dele Fashomi 2 months ago

The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has dismissed claims by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that the government sited a gold refinery in Lagos in violation of the federal character principle.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Segun Tomori, the ministry stated that the allegation misrepresents Minister Dr. Dele Alake’s comments regarding the gold refinery project and broader sector reforms.

The ministry insisted the Minister never announced that the Federal Government owned or established a gold refinery in Lagos. Tomori clarified that the newly inaugurated refinery is an initiative of Kian Smith, a fully privately-owned mining company, led by founder and Managing Director Ms. Nere Emiko.

He explained that the government does not dictate where private companies locate their operations, as each firm determines its own operational and marketing strategy.

The ministry praised Emiko’s perseverance in delivering the flagship project.

According to the ministry, the refinery reflects the sector’s response to the government’s value-addition policy, which aims to discourage raw mineral exports and promote local processing and manufacturing.

The reforms are reportedly stimulating more processing facilities nationwide, attracting foreign investment and creating jobs.

The ministry noted that aside from the Lagos refinery, progress is being made on three additional gold refineries at different stages of development across the country, along with a $600 million lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State ready for commissioning.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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