Minister of Solid Minerals and Development, Dele Alake, has highlighted that Nigeria’s gold is being illegally mined and exported to the United Arab Emirates.
During a meeting with UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Al Shamsi, in Abuja on Tuesday, Alake expressed concerns that the scale of this illegal trade is hindering potential collaborations between the two nations.
He emphasized the need for stronger trade ties between Nigeria and the UAE to boost economic growth.
“There is significant trade in gold, but much of it occurs outside legal channels, with a large share of Nigerian gold unlawfully reaching the UAE,” he said. “We suggest collaborating to create strategies to combat illegal gold trading and build a regulatory framework that will allow both countries to fully benefit from this sector,” the minister stated.
