Africa’s gold and gemstone industry is seeking a stronger investment and value-addition ecosystem capable of transforming the continent’s vast mineral resources into sustainable economic opportunities, jobs and globally competitive businesses.
Industry stakeholders are also calling for increased access to finance, skills development, technology, markets and leadership opportunities, particularly for women, as the Gold and Gemstones Conference & Exhibition (GGCE) prepares to mark its fifth anniversary in Lagos.
The 2026 edition of the conference and exhibition is scheduled for November 24 to 28 in Lagos, with the theme, “African Women Driving Africa’s Gold and Gemstone Economy: Catalysing Investment, Innovation and Global Competitiveness.”
According to the organisers, the anniversary edition is designed to go beyond celebrating Africa’s mineral wealth by focusing attention on how investors, entrepreneurs, miners and other industry participants can create more value from the continent’s resources within Africa.
The organisers said the conference would provide a platform for investors and industry players to explore opportunities across the entire value chain, including mining, mineral processing, jewellery manufacturing, technology, trading, design and other areas of value addition.
They said the objective was to deepen partnerships and strengthen local capacity so that African countries could retain a greater share of the economic value generated from their mineral resources.
The call comes against the backdrop of continued concerns over Africa’s dependence on the export of raw minerals, with limited processing and manufacturing taking place within the continent.
The organisers said GGCE 2026 would therefore place greater emphasis on beneficiation, processing, jewellery manufacturing, technical skills, technology adoption and improved access to international markets.
Rather than allowing mineral wealth to leave the continent largely in raw form, they argued that greater investment in local processing and manufacturing could create jobs, stimulate entrepreneurship, develop new industries and position Africa as a more competitive player in the global gold, gemstone and jewellery market.
President of Women in Mining Nigeria, Janet Adeyemi, described the fifth anniversary as a reflection of the endurance and commitment that have sustained the event and the wider industry.
According to Adeyemi, the milestone represents “resilience, dedication, consistency, and an unwavering belief in the potential of Africa’s gold and gemstone industry.”
She said the organisers were determined to make the 2026 edition more ambitious and relevant to an industry that is increasingly connected to global markets.
Adeyemi promised an edition that would be “bigger, more impactful, and positioned to meet the expectations of an increasingly global industry.”
She added that the anniversary edition would open a new chapter for the conference by creating stronger platforms for investment, skills development, women’s participation, innovation and international collaboration.
A major focus of the 2026 event will be the growing role of African women across the gold and gemstone value chain.
The organisers said women were increasingly making their mark as miners, processors, jewellery designers, manufacturers, traders, entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders.
To recognise these contributions, GGCE 2026 will feature a dedicated Awards and Recognition segment celebrating African women who are driving transformation across the sector.
The organisers said greater participation by women was already helping to unlock livelihoods, strengthen local value chains and demonstrate how mineral resources could generate broader economic benefits when women had access to the right combination of skills, finance, technology, markets and leadership opportunities.
Beyond the conference sessions and exhibition, participants will also have access to hands-on jewellery-making masterclasses.
The organisers said the practical sessions would support both aspiring and established entrepreneurs by strengthening their technical and creative abilities while helping them understand how raw materials could be transformed into commercially valuable finished products.
The initiative is expected to reinforce the conference’s emphasis on value addition by moving beyond discussions about mineral extraction to practical skills and business opportunities in jewellery production and related creative industries.
Managing Director of DCS Integrated Media Limited, Tunde Obokhai, is coordinating the event and driving efforts to position GGCE at a more internationally competitive standard.
The company said it was adopting a structured, globally oriented approach covering event strategy, stakeholder engagement, media visibility, branding and production.
According to the organisers, the approach is intended to ensure that the fifth-anniversary edition reflects a high level of professionalism while strengthening the event’s international credibility and visibility.
They said the anniversary would provide an opportunity to bring together a broader community of stakeholders while showcasing Africa’s gold, gemstone and jewellery opportunities to investors and the global market “with renewed confidence.”
With the fifth anniversary, the organisers are positioning GGCE 2026 not merely as another industry gathering but as a platform for building stronger connections between Africa’s mineral resources and the investment, technology, skills and manufacturing capabilities needed to unlock their full economic potential.