BY AKUDORO GLORIA

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, Dr. Dele Alake made this disclosure during a tour of the Laurel School of Mining in Abuja.

The Minister, in a statement signed by Segun Tomori, his Special Assistant on Media, commended the centre for leading the way in training jewelry and gemstone makers, expressing satisfaction with the quality of the jewelry produced.

He emphasized that the products are comparable to the best on the international market.

According to him, “From our raw materials such as gold, sapphire, gemstones, and the likes, we are now seeing finished products—jewelry—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 industrialization of the sector, and generate more revenue for the country.”

The Minister reiterated the Federal 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 jewelry 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.

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 jewelry industry and requested continued support from Dr. Alake to ensure maximum utilization 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 Mr. 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 jewelry industry. It focuses on mining, exploration, and manufacturing of high-quality gemstones and jewelry, with support from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD).