Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke has stressed that the solid minerals sector needs a dynamic overhauling and go beyond selling of raw materials to the development of value chains to get added earnings and redouble Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He made the suggestion l on Monday in a statement by his spokesman, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, which waswas m available to reporters in Osogbo, the state capital.
The governor spoke at the opening ceremony of the Nigeria Gemstones Conference held at the University of Ibadan Conference Hall, Ibadan, the Oyo State Capital.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Rev. Bunmi Jenyo
The governor who described the conference as a “laudable effort which will serve as a wake up call to managers of the economy and policy makers across board”, said “the gemstone sector is a multi billion dollar industry that has not received the right attention despite the push to diversify our national economy. It is therefore a welcome development that we are gathered here to deliberate on this sub- sector.
“We have a challenge to develop process capacity to add high value to our solid minerals. Specifically, gemstones present a high value opportunity for willing and enterprising stakeholders to operate”.
Jenyo who commended the organisers of the conference also said “We can however not achieve much unless we engage the private sector more productively. The organized private sector remains the most viable vehicle to drive the value addition and expansion of our processing capacity”.
Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Olanike K. Adeyemo, expressed his happiness, pledged government’s support for the resolution of the conference.
The organisers, Gemstones Miners And Marketers Association of Nigeria (GMMAN), said that the conference is an opportunity for individuals and organisations in the gemstones industry to come together and discuss the latest trends, challenges and innovations in the field.
The event attracted miners, dealers, lapidaries, jewellers, leading experts, researchers, policymakers and business leaders from all over the nation, to share their knowledge and insights.
