The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, has disclosed that the Kano Gold Souk will be complete before the end of 2022.
He said this on Tuesday in Kano while inspecting the construction of the Gold Souk.
This was contained in a press statement titled ‘FG to complete Kano Gold Souk this year’ issued by the ministry on Wednesday.
The statement read, “The Buhari Administration has assured it would complete the ongoing Kano Gold Souk before the end of the year 2022.”
It added, “The establishment of a Gold Souk in Kano is part of the current administration’s efforts to establish strategic Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Clusters in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country to harness the potential of the Artisanal and Small Scale Miners operators in the Country.”
The Gold Souk is constructed in Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State, with construction ongoing for four months.
The Minister was quoted as saying, “We want our gold in Nigeria to be enhanced here, we add value, create jobs for our people as well as generate revenue for government”, he emphasised.
“It is important that we add value to our gold instead of taking it out in the raw form, we will make jewelries such as bangles, wristwatches, necklaces and so on and then people will know that there is a Souk in Nigeria where they can visit and buy just like in other parts of the world.”
The minister was accompanied on the inspection by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade and the Director Artisanal and Small Scale Miner, Mr. Patrick Ojeka.
The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinlade said the Ministry said the Federal Government had approved the establishment of Clusters in the six geopolitical zones so as to develop the minerals in which each zone has a comparative advantage.
These zones and the minerals being developed according to her are Kaolin in the North East Zone (Bauchi), Gold Processing Plant in North Central Zone (Kogi), Lead/Zinc in the South East (Ebonyi) and Barite in the South-South (Cross River).
Others are the establishment of a Gem Stone Market in the South West (Oyo) and Gold Souk in the North West Zone (Kano).
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