Gemstone Utilisation: Solid Minerals Fund Creates Opportunity For 1,000 Women Entrepreneurs

The Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF), is creating multiple opportunities for Nigerian women in the utilisation of Gemstone products across the value chain through structured training programmes which kicked off in Lagos on Tuesday.

The projection is to raise 1,000 women entrepreneurs to explore huge economic opportunities in Gemstone mining and utilisation.

At the commencement of the first leg of the two day training, the executive secretary (ES) of SMDF, Hajia Fatima Shinkafi, explained that the training on Gemstone and Jewellery is a gateway to economic independence, skill acquisition, and social empowerment for the women in Nigerian communities.

Shinkafi, said the exercise aims at planting the seeds of creativity, entrepreneurship, and resilience, which will grow to yield lasting benefits for trainees, their families, and the society at large.

Gemstones, she explains, are among the most valuable natural resources found in the country and that Nigeria is blessed with an abundance of precious stones, many of which remain untapped or under-utilised.

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“This training will offer them the opportunity to not only create beautiful jewellery but to also build thriving businesses

“Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) is fully committed to ensuring that training and acquisition of knowledge in the sector is sustainable and this explains why we are launching the training of 1000 young women from different parts of the country with 100 participants at this gemstone and jewellery making training.

“We are not just focused on training; we are committed to the continued growth of the trainees. The target is to train 1000 women, those who do basics can move on and be part of an advanced training.” she said.

The SMDF, according to the ES, will support them with loans and grants to set up their own businesses so that they can turn what they have learnt into a successful enterprise.

She added, “We are at a time when diversification of our economy is crucial. The mining and value addition of gemstones present a unique opportunity for economic growth. It holds immense potential in terms of economic value, job creation, and export opportunities.

“By training women in this field, we are not only tapping into a lucrative market but also breaking barriers and ensuring that women have equal access to the opportunities this sector presents.”

Sharing the Agency’s vision around the initiative, she said the Fund is not only committed to the training but intends to provide support, linkages, and opportunities for growth.

“Whether it is through facilitating access to markets, providing mentorship, or supporting the formation of cooperatives and small businesses, we want to ensure that the skills the trainees acquire lead to long-term economic empowerment.

“Our commitment to empowering women is unwavering, and we believe that when women are given the tools to succeed, entire communities benefit.” she said.

Speaking to newsmen at the event, President of Women in Mining, Engineer Dr. Janet Adeyemi, said that while she was in the House of Representatives, she saw the need, with some of her colleagues, to diversify from oil and gas and approached then President Olusegun Obasanjo who endorsed their initiative to open up the mining sector.

“So to do that diversification, we went to Mr President, convinced him on why we have to look at the mining sector all over again. And you and I, we agree today that take it or leave it. Obasanjo makes impact in terms of transitional breakthroughs from what it used to be to the direction we were going.

“So he embraced the mining sector, but because of the experiences I’ve gotten, because when I graduated some 43 or 44 years ago, you find out that women are not allowed to work in the oil sector.”

Adeyemi, said the training focuses on raising women entrepreneurs in the field of mining and transformation of Gemstone into other economic uses.

Also speaking, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Philippines and Cambodia, Ambassador Folakemi Akinleye, said the training would go a long way in improving lives of rural women and open more opportunities in the mining sector which comes with huge investment and economic growth.

Adeleye, sharing her experience, said in the Philippines women are fully engaged in mining and making enormous contributions to the economic development of that country.

She however, observed that lack of skills, inadequate funding has mitigated women’s impact in the sector but expressed confidence that the training will help to advance women’s careers opportunities in the sector.

Former director with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Tope Omage, described SMDF, involvement and intervention as a milestone and landmark intervention to improve income of women in Nigeria.

Omage, said the exercise will go a long way in improving skills of women, create economic opportunities and improve the scale of employment in the country.

In his conversation with the media, one of the programme facilitators, and a Geologist, Dr. Tersoo Aga, said Nigeria is most blessed when it comes to human and natural resources, and particularly for the solid mineral sector.

Aga, said Nigeria is blessed with so much of all minerals, industrial minerals, with over 500 different types of gemstones.

According to him, the good aspect of it is that these are naturally occurring and occur predominantly within what we call the pegmatite belt of Nigeria that stretches from the southwestern part of the country to the northeastern part of the country.

This he said has a stretch of about 400 kilometres in length, and then 150 kilometres in width.

However, he noted that the country has not done systematic exploration to know the extent and estimated deposits of the mineral resources.

Three participants, Sola Adesanya, from Lagos State, Eden Durosola Precious (Lagos) and Hajia Umar Abubarkar (Zamfara) who spoke about their experience and expectations expressed optimism that the training will help them to pursue new career opportunities in mining.

They applauded the SMDF and Women in Mining for providing them the opportunities to explore the mineral resources in a sustainable manner under proper supervision and regulations.