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When the minister of mines and steel development, Arch Olamilekan Adegbite, assisted by other officials and stakeholders, presented starter packs to representatives of the two batches of 41 Nigerian youths selected from all the states of the federation in line with the country’s federal character principle for training in gemstone and jewellery production, it brought a symbolic end to several months of preparing the beneficiaries for life in the business of making and trading in precious stones.
LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that the federal government had in 2017 approved the establishment of the World Bank-assisted Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification (MinDiver) Project to strengthen key institutions in the mining sector so that they could contribute to the diversification of the Nigerian economy, enable job creation and value addition and reduce the nation’s over-dependence on the oil sector as a source of government revenue.
One of MinDiver Project’s strategy for sustainable development of the gemstone and jewellery industry in Nigeria is the gemstone and jewellery training programme with the aim of launching Nigerian youths into the highly lucrative jewellery business.
LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that two batches of 20 and 21 youths had already been trained and graduated in July and November respectively. However, the December 6, 2022 event – the presentation of starter packs – was a fulfillment of the minister’s pledge during the batches’ passing out occasions that the ministry would provide the trainees with tools of the trade for takeoff.
A third batch of another 20 students is expected to commence the same training programme before the end of this year, the minister said.
At the event held at the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja, the minister, Arch Adegbite, in his speech, expressed delight that the graduates had started producing exquisite cufflinks, gold chains, rings and many other jewellery pieces manufactured from gold, silver and gemstones mined in Nigeria.
He said, “It is therefore my utmost pleasure to award certificates to the 41 graduates from the Ministry’s Gemstone and Jewellery Centre after their completion of an intensive Master Training Programme in Jewellery Making and Design.
“These graduands will play a key role in pioneering and developing the industry in all the states of the Federation and the FCT. The graduates will go back to their respective states where they will open up training workshops to enhance job creation and productivity growth. Monitoring teams will soon be set up to ensure compliance.”
According to him, the government is not oblivious of the burden associated with startup entrepreneurs and it is determined to support the growth of the industry.
“As a show of commitment, the federal government is presenting a set of starter kits comprising the basic tools that are required to establish a standard jewellery workshop to the students.”
The minister urged the beneficiaries to approach their respective state governments for further assistance, and to seek assistance from private sector Development Banks, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and the Central Bank of Nigeria which may have funding facilities they can tap from to facilitate the expansion of their business.
Adegbite further disclosed that over the past months the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development had strategically created infrastructure to promote the gems and jewellery industry.
“At Ibadan, a One-Stop–Shop is being established to provide a market place for gems and jewellery. The shop will have a gemological laboratory for quick verification of gems, a gem training facility, banks, trading platforms, offices, and gems and jewellery shops. The facility will be commissioned soon.
“The Kano Gold Souk, constructed by my Ministry, will be commissioned in early 2023. This is a marketplace for the fabrication and sale of jewellery products. The Souk will contain quality assessment facilities, jewellery shops, banks, courier services and security posts. The aim of establishing this facility is to aid trade facilitation, import substitution and to encourage local manufacture of jewellery using Nigeria raw materials,” he said.
He emphasized that the effort so far at this stage is still work in progress.
“We must develop sustainable growth strategies to ensure a vibrant gem and jewellery industry. The Gem and Jewellery industry provides several opportunities in contributing to the Nigerian economy through wealth creation, skills development and creativity and provision of youth employment. This informed the government of President Mohammed Buhari to roll out critical initiatives for the rapid development of the industry with the ambition of making Nigeria Africa’s gem and jewellery hub. With the support of the World Bank and in collaboration with the private sector, the government has intervened in carrying out strategic initiatives on gems and jewellery which included baseline studies, fundamentals in mining techniques, establishment of a modern lapidary center and now the on-going training of master trainers in jewellery making.
“It is our ambition that the industry grows rapidly to cater for the large appetite of the Nigeria market and contribute significantly to the global jewellery market currently valued at about $250 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at about 8.5% annually,” he added.
On his part, the project coordinator, MinDiver, Engr. Sallim Salaam, said the master trainer programme was designed in such a way that beneficiaries would in turn train up others so that more people would benefit from the government programme.
Engr Salaam urged the trainees not to hoard the knowledge and skills they had acquired freely but to go and practise what they had learnt to add value to themselves and to society.
Senior technical adviser, MinDiver, Mr Linus Adie, thanked the minister for the singleness of purpose he employed in making sure the training programme was a success.
He said with the initiative, Nigerians that buy gold trinkets would no longer need to be sourcing them from abroad. He expressed hope that as Nigerian music and film industry had taken the world by storm, soon the country’s jewellery industry would be the toast of the world.
He told the graduates: “Don’t fail Nigeria. You are lucky. The ministry has already provided you a market in Kano for your products.”
One of the beneficiaries, Francis Jokah from Cross River State, and a staffer of the Nigerian Institute of Mining and Geosciences, Jos, could hardly hide [H1] his elation.
He said: “The whole experience had been very exciting. I will do whatever is necessary to impact on the industry. They (the facilitators) did everything possible to make us enjoy the skill we have acquired by giving us starter packs which will help us practise what we have learnt and as well help train others.”
He, however, said he and his mates would need to further develop themselves and acquire more tools for expansion and growth of the business.
Another beneficiary, John Madaki from Kaduna State, told LEADERSHIP Weekend he was selected on merit.
“I was into jewellery – that is, beads making. A friend told me about the MinDiver link. I applied and was interviewed online via zoom. I never knew anybody before I was selected.”
Madaki thanked the facilitators for empowering the graduates with the skills and start-off tools to launch into the business.
LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that apart from imbuing the 41 graduates with skills and start-off tools, the facilitators also invited two leading international businesspersons in the jewellery trade to share their on-field experiences and tutor them on how to grow Gemstone and Jewellery Business in Nigeria.
Mr Adekoya Osisanya, managing director Korbus Jewelry, Lagos, and Ms Olasunbomi Okhueleigbe, CEO/Creative director, Lagos, Elesho Jewellery, advised the new entrants on the need for continuing education; on proper pricing; on specialization and brand building; on customer management and on remaining steadfast in the face of setbacks, and other attributes necessary to thrive in the business.
There were other speakers from Women in Mining, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Bank of Industry (BOI) who spoke to the beneficiaries on corporate governance and access to public finance.
The Project Consult, Heinz Joseph Seegers, pledged that MinDiver would keep track of the progress of the trainees and offer help wherever possible. He advised the trainees to always communicate with their trainers whenever they need guidance.
Giving a breakdown of the training, he said it involved 15 females and 26 males selected from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, adding that they were trained for a total of 150 days with the best practical and technical materials from around the world to achieve the strategic goal of the project.
The permanent secretary in the ministry, Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, who gave the vote of thanks, commended the minister, Arch Adegbite, saying posterity would judge him well for the work he had done in the ministry and the mining and mineral sector. She also commended MinDiver and the training facilitators, just as she told the beneficiaries not to waste away but become productive with all the training and tools they had received.
The highlight of the occasion was the handing over the starter packs to the graduates by the minister and other officials.
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