Lagos State has pledged support to Women in Mining, Nigeria in its campaign to promote beneficiation, ensuring value is created locally before the nation’s minerals reach international markets.
The commitment was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs Folashade Bada Ambrose, at the Africa GEM 2025 Exhibition and Conference organised by the association in Lagos, themed “Accelerating Collaboration for Sustainable Gold and Gemstone Development in Africa.”
Speaking at the conference, the Commissioner said participants were not gathered only as industry players, innovators, and policymakers, but as custodians of Africa’s mineral wealth and champions of its transformation.
She stated that “Lagos, as Nigeria’s commercial and maritime powerhouse, is uniquely positioned to lead this national shift. By nurturing a supportive environment for innovation, investment, and technical excellence, Lagos can trigger a new era of industrial growth.”
According to her, such growth would “create jobs, build skills, raise export revenues, and strengthen communities based on exploration of the gemstone and mining industry.”
Ambrose added that the conference “is not merely a gathering, it is a call to action,” urging collaboration among governments, private sector partners, artisanal miner associations, women’s groups, financial institutions, and international buyers.
She said stakeholders must embrace responsible sourcing, environmental sustainability, and global standards of craftsmanship to ensure fair value distribution and protect the dignity of labour.
The Commissioner noted that these efforts would elevate African gemstones to place on the world stage, aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration as implemented by the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
