Stakeholders in Nigeria’s gemstone industry have called for the establishment of processing clusters to integrate mining, grading, cutting, polishing and jewellery production, saying the initiative would reduce operating costs, create jobs and increase the value derived from the country’s gemstone resources.
They made the call on Wednesday during a panel session on “Developing Nigeria’s Gemstone Value Chains” at the Nigeria Mining Week in Abuja, where they identified local processing, skills development, access to finance and effective branding as critical to developing a competitive gemstone industry.
The Country Manager of Adelia, Segun Okoh, said establishing gemstone industry clusters would bring different stages of the value chain closer,, improve operational efficiency and facilitate access to markets.
According to him, locating mining, grading, processing and jewellery production within the same areas would reduce costs and create opportunities for businesses to collaborate and expand their operations.
Okoh also called for a structured training system to produce skilled workers continuously and connect them with business and investment opportunities.
He said gemstone entrepreneurs needed financial literacy and business management skills to attract funding, establish viable businesses and generate employment.
He further stressed the importance of quality control and a formal trading system that rewards miners and businesses that comply with regulations and invest in improved production methods.
The Chief Executive Officer of Laurel School of Mines, Tope Adebanjo, said Nigeria needed to develop entrepreneurs with the technical expertise to transform raw gemstones into finished products rather than depend largely on the export of unprocessed stones.
Adebanjo, who said the school was established in 2013, identified gemstone enhancement, treatment, evaluation and jewellery making as critical areas requiring investment in training.
He explained that developing these skills would enable more processing activities to take place locally, allowing Nigeria to retain a greater share of the value generated along the gemstone supply chain.
Citing Thailand as an example, Adebanjo said sustained investment in technical expertise and entrepreneurship could help Nigeria build a competitive gemstone industry.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, training institutions and industry associations to develop the skills required to expand local processing and support businesses across the sector.
The President of the Gemstones Miners and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Adeniran Adjibade, said organising artisanal miners into cooperatives would improve their operations, encourage compliance with mining regulations and facilitate their transition into the formal sector.
He added that formalising small-scale mining would promote better environmental management, land reclamation and community development.
Adjibade stressed the need for continuous training in gemstone extraction, cutting, polishing, jewelry making, and marketing, noting that improper mining techniques could damage valuable stones before they reached the market.
He also called for stronger branding to improve the recognition and value of Nigerian gemstones in international markets, citing Tanzania’s promotion of Tanzanite as a model Nigeria could adopt.
According to him, developing the domestic jewelry market would create opportunities for businesses producing and selling beads, ornaments and other jewellery products.
He disclosed that the association was working towards establishing an international gemstone buying centre in Nigeria to strengthen the domestic market and improve trading opportunities.
The panellists agreed that developing processing clusters, improving technical skills and strengthening collaboration between the government and private sector would help Nigeria unlock the economic potential of its gemstone resources.
They said an integrated value chain would support local businesses, expand employment opportunities and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global gemstone market.
