General
Osinbajo to Launch Dukia-Heritage Bank Gold, Precious Metals Buying Centres
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
On Tuesday, June 9, 2020, Nigeria’s Vice President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, will officially launch the commencement of the Dukia Gold & Precious Metals Raw Materials Buying Program of the country’s first gold and precious metals refining company.
Mr Osinbajo will be joined for the historic event by the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr Olamilekan Adegbite.
The official launch will also witness the birth of Dukia–Heritage Bank Gold & Precious Metal Buying Centres, a project in partnership with Heritage Bank Plc for the sourcing and aggregation of gold and other precious metals.
The launch which will be declared open by the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Kayode Fayemi, who doubles as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).
To grace the occasion are other state governors, Ministers, Head of Parastatals, Private sector participants, mining stakeholders and local implementation partners.
In a statement by the organizers of the event, the theme of the seminar will be The Future of Gold and Precious Metals in Africa and the virtual launch of the Commencement of Operations of the Dukia Gold & Precious Metal Refining Company Limited, the Precious Metals Raw Materials Buying Program and the Dukia–Heritage Bank Plc buying Centres and the proprietary Dukia Trading Platform. The launch ceremony will be online via the Zoom – Meet and Chat’ platform, starting at 9.00am on Tuesday June 9, 2020.
According to the Managing Director of Dukia Gold and Precious Metals Refining Co. Ltd, Ms Bose Owolabi, the Lead seminar paper will be delivered by Mr Ibrahim Sagna, Director & Global Head, Advisory and Capital Markets, Afrexim Bank, while other key speakers include Mr Ifie Sekibo, Managing Director, Heritage Bank Plc; Mr. Akin Akeredolu-Ale, Managing Director, Lagos Commodities & Futures Exchange (LCFE); Humphrey Oriakhi, Managing Director, PAC Capital and Mr. Femi Williams, Managing Director, New Waves Ecosystems Limited.
According to her, “Nigeria’s enormous deposits of Gold & Precious Metals have largely remained untapped for various reasons which include the scale of capital investment required to activate required infrastructures, inattention to required policy frameworks, the distractions of fossil fuels’ dependencies. The Federal Ministry of Mines & Steel Development has over the years sought to make the sector attractive to investors with some success and that is why Dukia Gold which is conceptually wholly Nigerian, driven by informed commitment and competence, leveraging on sterling local and global partnering across the spectrum of expertise required to bring it to life sustainably and successfully, going forward”.
“Dukia Gold & Precious Metals Refining Company Limited is at the heart of the delivery of the Dukia Gold Project. It is primed to fulfil a substantial gap in Infrastructure required to achieve the full value chain of operations, i.e. from Mines and Recyclable Gold to Mint and from Mint to Market and it comprises solutions geared towards facilitating and stimulating necessary developments in and of the Gold & Precious Metals’ subsector of the Solid Minerals sector of the Nigerian economy,” she stated.
She went further, “Dukia Gold Project addresses and delivers critical solutions which ensure full Beneficiation of Precious Metals, including the refining of Precious Metals in Nigeria to the highest international standards in such a way that Nigerians and Nigeria can begin to trade and receive fair pricing and value for Precious Metals produced in Nigeria.”
Dukia Gold Project will help to curtail exploitation of local miners by illegal traders who smuggle precious metals out of Nigeria with negligible gain to these local miners and with no returns to the national economy”.
She explained further that when the company kicks off officially, it will focus on adding value to the gold business in Nigeria and West Africa.
Her words, “Dukia Gold and Precious Metal Refining Company Limited sets out to be foremost indigenous Gold & Other Precious Metals Refining & Trading Company.
“It is commencing its nationwide purchasing of gold and precious metals after the launch of designated Heritage Bank Gold and Precious Metals Buying Centres, focusing on adding value to the gold and precious metals industry in Nigeria and West Africa and on delivering a major source of alternative foreign exchange revenues.
“When it becomes fully operational, the refinery will be the first of its kind in West Africa and it will be open for opportunities for artisan miners, gold & precious metals owners and allied enterprises to obtain appropriate financial value for their products among other benefits”.
“The Dukia Gold Project is manifestly a game-changing proposition, an articulate catalyst for the development of the Nigerian Mining Industry.
“The buying programme has commenced and the Buying Centres will be open to the public on August 1, 2020 while phased implementation of the Refinery has also commenced with essential equipment on order from pre-qualified world-leading manufacturers with full implementation to be achieved within 24 months”.
Dukia Gold is being financed by a blend of Equity and Loans from Financial Institutions led by Heritage Bank Plc, supported by PAC Capital as Financial Advisers and Fund Arrangers in due course by the Afrexim Bank.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Young bloggers, online content creators and digital influencers have been charged to embrace ethical journalism, responsible storytelling and fact-based reporting as they shape public opinion in the digital age.
This task was given by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris, during the Niger State Bloggers, Online Publishers and Content Developers Forum on Monday in Abuja.
In a statement on Tuesday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Rabiu Ibrahim, the Minister said digital platforms offer enormous opportunities for innovation and civic engagement but must be used responsibly to promote truth, national unity and constructive public discourse.
He urged bloggers and content creators to verify information before publication, reject misinformation and disinformation, avoid sensationalism, and use their platforms to educate, inspire and promote national development.
Mr Idris also encouraged young Nigerians to see digital content creation not only as a source of income but also as a tool for civic engagement and nation-building, stressing that ethical communication is essential to strengthening democracy and public trust.
He further encouraged aspiring bloggers and digital entrepreneurs to continue developing their skills and uphold professional standards that will strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s online media ecosystem.
“There is no democracy that can thrive without a responsible media. You cannot carry freedom and abandon responsibility,” he stated, adding that the government remains committed to protecting press freedom while encouraging ethical journalism.
The Minister also highlighted the establishment of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), the world’s first UNESCO Category 2 Institute dedicated exclusively to Media and Information Literacy, describing it as a major step in promoting digital literacy and responsible online engagement.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Rabiu Kwankwaso, disclosed that Mr Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, signed agreements committing himself to serving only one four-year term if elected in 2027.
Mr Kwankwaso explained that the documents comprised a formal agreement involving the political party and a separate personal accord between himself and Mr Obi.
According to Mr Kwankwaso, the deal stipulates that the presidency will return to Northern Nigeria in 2031 upon the completion of an Obi-led administration’s four-year tenure, if elected next year.
“We have agreed to formalise it in writing,” Mr Kwankwaso stated. “We have executed one document for the party and another between the two of us,” he revealed during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today late on Monday.
He reiterated that Mr Obi would honour his pledge and resist pressure to seek a second term, expressing confidence in the former Anambra State governor, noting that his interactions had convinced him that he would respect the agreement.
“I personally believe him, and, based on what I now know about him, I do not believe he will change his mind when the time comes,” he said. “We are all gentlemen.”
Mr Kwankwaso added that he and Mr Obi would continue to collaborate after the proposed administration completes its term.
“The agreement is that after four years, we will continue to work together as a group, as a party, and as friends and brothers,” he said. “After our four-year term, from 2027 to 2031, power returns to the North. That is the consensus.”
The former defence minister did not state that he would be the NDC presidential candidate in 2031; his comments referred broadly to the presidency returning to the North, rather than to his personal political ambitions.
Mr Obi has repeatedly pledged to serve only one term if elected; however, he has yet to publicly confirm the specific details of the documents described by Mr Kwankwaso.
In the 2023 Presidential polls, Mr Obi was the Labour Party presidential candidate while Mr Kwankwaso contested on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Over 1.14 million hectares of degraded land have been restored by the Nigerian government, with more than 1.5 million trees planted across the country in the past year.
This information was revealed by the Minister of Environment, Mr Balarabe Abbas Lawal, at the 2026 Top Management Retreat and National Tree Planting Campaign in Maiduguri, Borno State.
He said these achievements were made through initiatives of the federal government like the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project and the National Agency for the Great Green Wall.
According to him, the restoration of the land and the planting of trees demonstrate a clear national commitment to securing environmental sustainability while advancing economic growth.
The Minister reemphasised that the environment is not an abstract concept, pointing out that “it is the air we breathe, the land that feeds us, the rivers that sustain communities, and the climate that shapes the future.”
He praised Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State for his giant strides in the environment sector in the state, urging other state governors to emulate him by providing sponsorship for their students to the various Federal Colleges of Forestry Resources Management institutions located across the six geo-political zones of the country to encourage and boost Forest education in the country.
He described the decision of Mr Zulum to sponsor 540 indigenes of the state to a forestry college in Maiduguri as commendable.
Mr Lawal also informed the participants of the programme that the Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025, is a key policy instrument under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it protects Nigeria’s forest resources, curbs illegal logging, and encourages tree planting as a national duty.
He pledged the Federal Ministry of Environment’s continued partnership with state governments on afforestation, ecosystem restoration, and other interventions tailored to their needs.
“Nigeria’s environmental future can be secured by protecting natural heritage, strengthening climate resilience, and advancing inclusive and sustainable development for present and future generations,” he declared.
