The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has condemned the Bola Tinubu-led government’s decision to locate Nigeria’s national gold refinery in Lagos State, calling it a “deliberate act of economic dispossession” against Northern Nigeria.
The Forum argues that the move reinforces an extractive economic model, where raw materials are sourced from the North, while processing and industrial benefits are concentrated in Lagos.
According to NEF, this decision is a form of “internal colonialism” that perpetuates inequality and underdevelopment in the North.
They cite constitutional provisions, including Sections 14(3), 16(1)(b), and 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which recognize the right of resource-bearing areas to benefit from extracted resources.
The Forum demands that at least one primary gold refinery be located in Northern Nigeria’s gold-producing corridor, with Lagos restricted to trading, certification, or export functions. They warn that sustained economic exclusion could undermine national cohesion.
