Africa’s Gold and Gemstone Industry Seeks More Investment as GGCE Marks Fifth Anniversary

Africa’s gold and gemstone industry is seeking stronger investment, skills development and international partnerships as the Gold and Gemstones Conference & Exhibition (GGCE) prepares to mark its fifth anniversary in Lagos.

The 2026 edition of the conference and exhibition will hold from November 24 to 28 under the theme, “African Women Driving Africa’s Gold and Gemstone Economy: Catalysing Investment, Innovation and Global Competitiveness.”

Organisers said the anniversary edition would focus less on celebrating Africa’s mineral wealth and more on how businesses and investors can turn those resources into greater economic value within the continent.

The event is expected to bring together investors, entrepreneurs, miners, processors, jewellery manufacturers, traders, designers and technology providers, creating opportunities for partnerships across the industry’s value chain.

From Raw Minerals to Local Value

A major focus of GGCE 2026 will be Africa’s ability to capture more value from its mineral resources.

According to the organisers, the continent continues to export significant volumes of raw minerals while missing opportunities to generate additional value through local processing, beneficiation and manufacturing.

The conference will therefore promote investment across mining, processing, jewellery manufacturing, technology, trading, design and value addition, while supporting efforts to strengthen local skills and production capacity.

The shift could have broader implications for African economies, particularly as businesses seek to build stronger domestic supply chains and create more jobs around the continent’s mineral resources.

Women Take Centre Stage

Women’s participation will be a major feature of this year’s event.

The conference will recognise African women contributing to the gold and gemstone value chain as miners, processors, jewellery designers, manufacturers, traders, entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders.

Organisers said greater access to finance, skills, technology, markets and leadership opportunities could help women expand their businesses while strengthening local value chains.

President of Women in Mining Nigeria, Janet Adeyemi, described the fifth anniversary as a reflection of the resilience and consistency of stakeholders working to develop Africa’s gold and gemstone industry.

She said the 2026 edition would create stronger platforms for investment, skills development, women’s participation, innovation and international collaboration.

Building an Industry Beyond Mining

GGCE 2026 will also look beyond extraction by focusing on the businesses and skills needed to turn raw materials into finished, commercially valuable products.

The programme will include hands-on jewellery-making masterclasses designed to help aspiring and established entrepreneurs improve their technical and creative capabilities while gaining a better understanding of value addition.

For investors, this creates opportunities across a much wider ecosystem — from mining and processing to manufacturing, design, technology and international trade.

Positioning Africa for Global Competition

The organisers are also seeking to position the event as a platform for connecting Africa’s mineral opportunities with global investors and markets.

Managing Director of DCS Integrated Media Limited, Tunde Obokhai, is leading efforts to scale the event to a more internationally competitive standard, with emphasis on event strategy, stakeholder engagement, media visibility, branding and production.

The organisers said the fifth anniversary edition would bring together a broader community of industry stakeholders while presenting Africa’s gold, gemstone and jewellery opportunities to the international market.

As GGCE enters its sixth edition, the underlying message is increasingly about value rather than volume: Africa’s mineral wealth can generate significantly greater economic impact when more of the mining, processing, manufacturing and commercial activity happens within the continent.

For investors and entrepreneurs, the opportunity extends beyond what lies beneath the ground to the businesses that can be built around it.