FG to establish additional gemstone, jewellery-making centres

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to establishing more gemstone and jewellery-making centres across the country to boost entrepreneurship in the mining industry and support the local value-addition policy.

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, made this disclosure during a tour of the Laurel School of Mining in Abuja on Friday.

He commended the centre for leading the way in training jewellery and gemstone makers, expressing satisfaction with the quality of the jewellery produced.

The minister, in a statement signed by his special assistant on media, Segun Tomori, emphasised that the products are comparable to the best on the international market.

He said, “From our raw materials such as gold, sapphire, gemstones, and the like, we are now seeing finished products—jewellery—being created at this centre. That is value addition.

“This is a significant contribution to our mining industry, which has the potential to provide employment for our youth, drive the industrialization of the sector, and generate more revenue for the country.”

The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening production at the centre and assured that more such centres will be established across the country once the 2025 budget implementation begins.

He also highlighted the importance of increasing jewellery production, not just to meet local demand but also for export purposes, noting that this sector has the potential to become a major foreign exchange earner for the country.

The minister was also optimistic that a lot of illegal operators would change their ways and also move into this sector through the centre.

He added, “A lot of our youth that are roaming the streets, this is an opportunity for them to come and learn something, handiwork, and this is more than handiwork. This is industrialization; when you are manufacturing, when you are producing, it is industrialization, and that’s what we’re doing here.

“So it is making a significant contribution to this economy. In another year or so, we’ll be able to put figures to the production value; we will be able to say this centre has contributed x amount of dollars or naira or whatever it is to the GDP of Nigeria. But overall, I’m very satisfied with what is happening here.”

In his remarks, the MD/CEO of Laurel School of Mining, Tope Adebanjo, expressed gratitude to the ministry for its support, stressing that the ongoing Batch 4 Advanced Master Class training would not have been possible without the Ministry’s assistance.

He also outlined plans to further develop entrepreneurs in Nigeria’s gemstones and jewellery industry and requested continued support from Alake to ensure maximum utilisation of the centre’s equipment to foster the growth of mining entrepreneurs who will create wealth and employment opportunities for the nation’s youth.

The minister welcomed the initiative and directed Adebanjo to submit a detailed proposal to the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mary Ogbe, for further action.

The Laurel School of Mining is a professional training facility dedicated to the development of the gem and jewellery industry.

It focuses on the mining, exploration, and manufacturing of high-quality gemstones and jewellery, with support from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.