FG dismisses NEF’s federal character claim over Lagos gold refinery

The Federal Government has rejected claims by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that it violated the federal character principle by siting a gold refinery in Lagos, describing the allegation as misleading and based on a false premise.

The clarification was made by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Segun Tomori.

According to the ministry, the NEF’s claim misrepresented remarks made by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, on the planned inauguration of a gold refinery and ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector.

Tomori stressed that the Federal Government neither owns nor established a gold refinery in Lagos or anywhere else in the country.

“There was nowhere in the Minister of Solid Minerals announcement that the Federal Government owned or established a gold refinery in Lagos or anywhere for that matter,” he said.

He explained that Alake had clearly stated that several gold refineries were being developed across the country and that all of them are privately owned by different companies.

The ministry further clarified that the refinery referenced by the NEF is a private initiative by Kian Smith, a wholly privately owned mining company, established to support the growth of Nigeria’s local gold industry.

Tomori noted that the Federal Government does not determine where private companies locate their investments, adding that such decisions are driven by operational, commercial and logistical considerations of the investors.

He urged the public to clearly distinguish between government projects and private sector investments, warning against the politicisation of private business decisions.

The ministry reiterated its commitment to fostering an enabling environment for solid minerals development across all regions of the country, in line with national economic diversification goals.

Tomori also commended the founder and Managing Director of Kian Smith, Ms Nere Emiko, for delivering what he described as a flagship project after years of perseverance, enterprise and leadership.

According to him, the refinery aligns with the Federal Government’s value-addition policy in the solid minerals sector, which seeks to discourage the export of raw minerals and promote local processing, beneficiation and manufacturing within Nigeria.