Nigeria’s solid minerals exports reached $350 million in 2025, but industry stakeholders say limited processing capacity, weak supply chains and a shortage of technical skills are preventing the country from earning more from its mineral resources.
According to the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), the exports formed part of Nigeria’s total export earnings of $6.1 billion in 2025. Experts believe that investing in local processing, product branding and better market access could increase the sector’s contribution to the economy.
The concerns were raised during a panel discussion on Nigeria’s gemstone value chain at Nigeria Mining Week in Abuja, where participants called for closer cooperation between the government and private sector to build a competitive domestic industry.
Adeniran Ajibade, president of the Gemstones Miners and Marketers Association of Nigeria (GMMAN), said the country needed to move beyond exporting raw gemstones to grading, cutting, polishing and turning them into finished jewellery.
He explained that international buyers were more likely to work with Nigerian suppliers that could consistently provide properly graded gemstones that meet global market standards.
Ajibade warned that selling gemstones of different quality grades in mixed batches weakened local suppliers’ bargaining power and made it easier for international buyers to take advantage of them.
He said improved knowledge of gemstone identification, grading and valuation would help miners and traders negotiate better prices and retain more earnings within Nigeria.
Ajibade also urged the government to maintain support for gemstone cutting and jewellery-making, rather than treating such interventions as one-off programmes. He cited Tanzania as an example of how government and private-sector collaboration could strengthen a country’s gemstone identity and international market presence.
GMMAN is also working towards establishing an international gemstone buying centre in Nigeria. According to Ajibade, the facility would create a more organised marketplace, connecting local producers with international buyers.
He added that Nigeria should develop its domestic market alongside exports by encouraging consumers to purchase locally sourced gemstones and Nigerian-made jewellery. This, he said, could reduce dependence on imported jewellery and create more opportunities for local businesses.
Segun Okoh, another participant at the panel, called for gemstone-processing clusters that bring together small-scale miners, traders, processors and jewellery makers.
He said the clusters could create a more coordinated path from extraction to finished products, helping ensure that women, young people and other participants in mining communities benefit from the industry.
Okoh added that keeping more stages of production within Nigeria would increase the value retained locally and make the sector more attractive to investors. He stressed that investors needed viable business structures and a reasonable expectation of returns.
Meanwhile, Tope Adebanjo, chief executive officer of Laurel School of Mines, highlighted the importance of sustained training, mentorship and practical experience in building the skilled workforce required by the gemstone industry.
Adebanjo said his organisation had partnered with the Bank of Industry to train more than 8,000 Nigerians across the country’s six geopolitical zones in gemstone-related skills. It had also awarded full scholarships to 10 Nigerians from different states.
He identified innovation, creativity, branding and sustainability as essential to building a competitive industry, adding that technical training should continue beyond graduation.
Adebanjo said practical instruction and mentorship would help trainees develop the expertise needed to meet industry demands.
The discussions underscored the need for an integrated gemstone value chain covering responsible mining, grading, processing, jewellery production, branding and marketing.
Stakeholders said sustained government support, private investment, specialised training and organised trading platforms would be crucial to increasing the value Nigeria earns from its mineral resources.
With solid minerals exports valued at $350 million in 2025, expanding domestic processing and strengthening local supply chains could boost export earnings while creating jobs for miners, artisans, traders and jewellery manufacturers.
