By Kingsley Adegboye 

To end exploitation in mining in Africa by middlemen, Women in Mining in Africa (WIMA), are canvassing collaboration and partnership among stakeholders. 

The women miners are equally soliciting for sponsorship from corporate organisations to help them expand their business to become a thriving gemstones

industry that could support other economic linkages, create jobs  especially for women and youths as well as generate higher income from the exportation of value-added stones branded as originating from their countries.

These concerns were disclosed at the three days God and Gemstone Conference & Exhibition in Lagos, organised by African Gem and Jewellery Conference & Exhibition (AGJEC). The event took place between September 25 and 27, 2024. 

In her welcome address, president and founder of Women in Mining in Nigeria (WIMIN), Engr. Janet Adeyemi, stressed the need to create a common platform for the various stakeholders in the gemstones and jewellery supply chain on the continent to address the dynamics and challenges of the sector, engage in meaningful policy conversations, while also pursuing practical initiatives on responsible sourcing of gemstones and jewellery from Africa and innovative solutions for local value addition. 

The women in mining in Nigeria president therefore called for collaboration and partnership among stakeholders to drive the vision of the women miners in Africa, while appealing for sponsorship from corporate organisations to actualise the dream. 

Mrs. Adesuwa Dan-Princewill, Chairman of the WIMIN GGCE, stressed the importance of value addition in the mining sector and the need for collaboration and partnership. 

According to her, “WIMIN GGCE Lagos provides a unique platform for the jewellery trade in Nigeria.” “By bringing together women from across the continent, we are fostering innovation and driving value addition to the mining sector”. 

In his remarks, Mkhuluu Ncube, Programme Officer, Africa Minerals Development Center, noted that despite Africa having deposits of  gemstones, and some of these deposits being exploited through artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) with a high level of women participation, the African countries that harbour them and the miners do not benefit from the high prices that gemstones fetch internationally. “Practitioners have come to realize that a majority of gemstones found in the international market are from ASM operations.

” A commissioned study aligned to the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)

is meant to unpack a foreseeable 20 billion dollar gemstone and jewellery chain on the continent.

” There are several reasons why the ASM miners do not realise full value from mining gemstones. One key issue is the lack of market knowledge. 

” Most of the miners cannot technically identify the type of gemstones they are producing and their value in the market. They also do not have the knowledge of the supply chain and rely on brokers who exploit them to give them a valuation.

” Lack of skills in grading, cutting, and polishing these gemstones is also a key issue.

The miners will sell rough stones to brokers who will then cut and polish and sell them at exorbitant prices to jewellery makers. International jewellery designers as well, do not trust that Africans have the skills and expertise to cut and polish to their standards. 

“They prefer to buy rough gemstones from the brokers and send them to their own gemmologists who have knowledge of the “European or American” cut.

” This disenfranchises the miners who would have realised greater incomes from selling value added gemstones. 

” The Africa Mining Vision (AMV), which was adopted by African Countries in 2009, is the blueprint for inclusive and sustainable development of the continent’s mineral resources sector to underpin broad based development. 

” Among other things, the AMV requires local value-addition to minerals to maximize the impact of the mining sector in the social and economic transformation of African countries.

” Globally, consumers are becoming more discerning and are increasingly seeking jewellery made from ethically sourced metals and gemstones. Additionally, the requirement by some Western countries for their business communities to only deal with responsibly sourced minerals, has led jewellery designers to seek direct contact with local miners to establish and authenticate the origin of gemstones, ” Ncube said.

Remarking on behalf of UNIDO which was one of the sponsors of the Conference & Exhibition, Omokaro Collins Osagie, who represented Senior Investment & Technology Promotion Expert, UNIDO ITPO Nigeria Representative, Ms Abimbola Alufore, said the Conference & Exhibition was in line with what UNIDO believes in.

According to her, “We believe in investment value chain, we believe in collaboration. We don’t believe in mining and selling outright but in investing in value chain.”