Nigeria gold refining plant operations have officially begun in Lagos, marking a major step in the Tinubu administration’s drive to add value to the country’s solid minerals sector.
Solid Minerals Minister Dele Alake revealed on Tuesday that the Lagos facility is now fully operational, with three additional gold refineries at various stages of development across the country. He also announced that a $600 million lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State will soon be commissioned.
Alake made the announcement during a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, ahead of the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh. “Nigeria’s value-addition policy is already yielding tangible results,” Alake said, highlighting the government’s commitment to boosting domestic processing of natural resources.
The minister emphasised areas for potential collaboration with Saudi Arabia, including mineral traceability, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, and mine-pit remediation. He also noted that a joint working group established with the Saudi Chamber of Commerce would present its findings at the forum to support new agreements in the sector.
Al-Khorayef expressed support for the proposed collaboration and urged the working group to draft a memorandum of understanding (MOU) based on prior engagements. He encouraged Nigeria to use the forum to attract Saudi investors and promote the country’s mining sector.
The Lagos gold refinery represents a strategic effort to reduce raw material exports, generate local jobs, and increase revenue from mineral resources. Officials see it as part of a broader push to position Nigeria as a key player in Africa’s mining and mineral processing landscape.
