Editor’s Note
This article highlights Africa’s strategic push to enhance value addition and sustainable practices within its critical mineral sectors, as outlined by regional leadership.
The Chairman of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group and Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, has stated that decisive steps are being taken by the continent to strengthen value addition, regional collaboration, and sustainable growth in the gemstones and gold value chain.
He disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a pre-event news conference ahead of the 4th African Gems and Jewellery Exhibition & Conference and the Gold & Gemstone Conference and Exhibition (AGJEC/GGCE 2025), scheduled to be held in Lagos.
Alake noted that the conference, with the theme “Accelerating Collaboration for Sustainable Gold and Gem Development in Africa,” will reflect a shared ambition to transform the sector for the benefit of all Africans.
He stressed that a third of global mineral resources are domiciled in Africa but lamented that the continent earns only a marginal share of the world’s mineral value.
Represented by the Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund, Fatima Shinkafi, the Minister, however, said that this gap should be a major opportunity for growth and collective prosperity.
The Minister then highlighted the ongoing reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which include enhanced transparency, accelerated geological data gathering, improved local refining and manufacturing, and the formalization of artisanal mining.
He stressed that these reforms are targeted at safeguarding mining communities, increasing revenue, and making solid minerals a pillar of Nigeria’s industrial development.
The Minister stressed that gold and gemstones hold immense potential to create jobs and empower women and youth, as the value of a polished gem or crafted jewellery piece can multiply significantly across the value chain.
He then reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to responsible sourcing and certification and the transition from exporting raw minerals to producing world-class finished products.
Commending Women in Mining in Nigeria for promoting inclusivity, the Minister promised the group continued government support for training, community development, and safer mining practices.
On the details of the conference, Alake said:
He added that the conference will also advance regional integration and help Africa maximise benefits under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The Minister then expressed optimism that the Lagos conference will further strengthen Nigeria’s path toward building a world-class minerals sector.
President of Women in Mining in Nigeria, Mrs. Janet Adeyemi, said:
She also noted that the continent’s natural resources must be managed responsibly for future generations and warned that excluding women, who constitute half of the population, undermines progress.