The Nigerian Export Promotion Council has renewed its push for value addition in Nigeria’s gemstone industry, saying greater local processing, certification and traceability are needed to improve the sector’s competitiveness in international markets.
The council made the call during a gemstone value chain development programme in Ibadan, Oyo State, organised by its Solid Minerals Directorate. The programme was themed “Promoting Gemstones Value Addition as a Catalyst for Global Competitiveness.”
NEPC Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Nonye Ayeni, represented at the event by Chief Trade Promotion Officer Oyinkan Duke, said the initiative formed part of the council’s broader mandate to diversify Nigeria’s economy through non oil exports.
Ayeni said Ibadan was selected for the programme because Oyo State and surrounding areas sit on one of Nigeria’s significant gemstone belts.
According to her, Nigeria recorded $6.1 billion in formal non oil export earnings in 2025, representing an 11.5 percent increase from the previous year. However, the country accounts for less than 0.1 percent of the estimated global gemstone and jewellery market valued at more than $350 billion, despite its substantial gemstone resources.
She attributed the limited global market share partly to the continued export of gemstones in their raw form, noting that cut and polished stones can be significantly more valuable than rough stones.
Ayeni identified formalisation and value addition as key requirements for improving Nigeria’s position in the global gemstone trade. She said more than 80 percent of gemstone mining in the country was artisanal and informal, creating challenges around traceability, standards, financing and access to international markets.
She urged miners and other operators to organise themselves into cooperatives and clusters, formalise their businesses and invest in facilities for cutting and polishing gemstones.
The NEPC also identified aquamarine, tourmaline, sapphire, amethyst and quartz among the gemstones produced in Nigeria and said the sector could benefit from improved technology, skills development and stronger links between miners, processors, financiers and exporters.
Duke said informal mining practices could undermine buyer confidence because international markets increasingly demand evidence of origin, ethical sourcing and product quality.
She identified illegal mining, insecurity, smuggling, inadequate modern equipment and a shortage of skilled gemologists as some of the challenges limiting the sector’s development.
She said the council was working with miners’ associations to organise artisanal operators into cooperatives, facilitate exporter registration and provide training in gemstone cutting, polishing and jewellery making.
Adeniran Ajibade, president of the Gemstones Miners and Marketers Association of Nigeria, said inadequate skills and processing facilities remained major constraints.
He called for continuous government supported training in activities including tumbling, bead making, cabochoning, faceting and jewellery manufacturing. He also advocated stronger marketing campaigns, professional branding linking Nigerian gemstones to their cultural and geographic origins, certified grading laboratories and expanded technical training.
Abiola Olaoluwa, director of Mining Operations at the Oyo State Minerals Development Agency, said international buyers were increasingly focused on quality, certification, traceability, responsible sourcing and consumer confidence.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, industry, academic institutions and private sector operators to ensure that gemstones mined in Nigeria are processed into internationally competitive products within the country.
The programme also featured presentations from the Bank of Industry on financing opportunities for miners and the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development on certification processes.
The NEPC has identified value addition as part of its broader strategy to increase the volume and value of Nigeria’s non oil exports. Its export support programmes include capacity building and infrastructure interventions aimed at helping Nigerian exporters improve product quality and competitiveness in international markets.
For the gemstone industry, increased domestic processing could create opportunities beyond mining by expanding activities in cutting, polishing, jewellery manufacturing, certification, packaging and export marketing.
The push also reflects a broader effort to ensure that Nigeria captures more economic value from its mineral resources before they reach international markets, while strengthening formalisation and responsible sourcing across the sector.
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