The Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has rejected claims by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) that the Federal Government violated the federal character principle by citing a gold refinery in Lagos State.

The ministry described the allegation, contained in a statement by NEF spokesperson Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, as false and misleading.

In a statement issued on Sunday, January 18, 2026, by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, clarified that the Federal Government neither owns nor established any gold refinery in Lagos or elsewhere in the country.

Tomori said the minister had clearly stated that the refinery recently announced for inauguration in Lagos is privately owned, adding that several other gold refineries, also privately owned, are being developed in different parts of the country.

According to him, the Lagos refinery is an initiative of Kian Smith, a wholly private mining company, established to boost local gold processing through innovative practices.

He explained that the Federal Government does not direct private investors on where to locate their businesses, as such decisions are based on individual operational and market considerations.

Tomori noted that ongoing reforms by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development over the past two years have created an enabling environment for private investment in the mining sector, with the Lagos refinery serving as evidence of the success of these policies.

He added that the ministry would continue to encourage mining companies to establish processing and manufacturing plants nationwide and urged the NEF to support the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu towards building a stronger and more self-reliant Nigerian economy.