The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has criticised the Federal Government over the siting of Nigeria’s National Gold Refinery in Lagos, describing the decision as a violation of constitutional equity and federal balance.
In an open letter dated January 18, 2026, and signed by its spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the forum argued that locating the refinery far from Nigeria’s gold-producing regions deepens economic inequality.
The forum’s reaction followed an announcement by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, that a high-purity gold refinery had commenced operations in Lagos, alongside plans for additional refineries and a $600 million lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State.
NEF maintained that Nigeria’s commercially viable gold deposits are concentrated in Northern states such as Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna and Katsina, insisting that refining infrastructure should be located closer to mining sites.
The forum warned that concentrating value-addition facilities in Lagos reinforces regional marginalisation and undermines the constitutional principles of derivation, federal character and inclusive development.
