- July 21, 2021
- Posted by: adminer
- Category: Trade and Industry
Mr Olamilekan Adegbite, the Minister for Mines and Steel Development, says Federal Government was encouraging value addition to raw materials before exportation to enhance the products.
Adegbite said that mineral beneficiation was important as a lot of minerals from Nigeria were exported in their raw form.
“We are the worst for it, because when you export your minerals in the raw form, you lose a lot of value down the chain, you lose employment opportunities.
“So, we are encouraging that in Nigeria now, any mineral that is mined should be enhanced, value added before it is exported out of Nigeria.”
According to Adegbite, the Federal Government has established mine processing centres in six regional centres, representing the six geo-political zones of the country.
He said that gold in Nigeria had been going out to Dubai and lots of places and they would make jewellery out of it, and Nigerians go and buy them at 100 times the price.
“So, we are providing skills for our people to make jewellery out of our own gold, so that people come from all over the world they come to our souk, to buy the gold, not the raw gold, but to buy jewellery, you can buy bangles, you can buy rings.