Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, Coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has questioned the rationale behind siting a gold refinery outside Nigeria’s gold-producing regions.
In an interview with The Sun on Saturday, January 31, 2026, Charanchi argued that standard industrial practice requires industries to be located close to their raw materials.
“One of the basic conditions for establishing an industry is proximity to the source of raw materials,” he said.
He maintained that Lagos has no historical link to gold production in Nigeria, making its choice as a refinery location difficult to justify.
“I am not aware of any history that shows Lagos produces the gold being talked about today,” Charanchi stated.
According to him, Nigeria’s gold is mined mainly in the northern part of the country, with Zamfara State and other northern states identified as key production areas.
“This gold is produced in Zamfara and other northern states,” he said.
Charanchi’s comments underline concerns that economic benefits from gold processing and value addition may be diverted away from the communities where the mineral is actually mined.
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