Expert provides ways to diversify economy through legal processing of Gemstone faceting for export.

In a bid to diversify the economy, an expert in Lustregems and Minerals Jewelry hub, Gerald Muoeboh, has perfected the strategy to ensure that the solid minerals sector contributes over fifty percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

He made the assertion during a one day worskhop on practical Demonstration of Gemstone Faceting for Export, held at Minkis Suites Keffi, Thursday.

The workshop on practical demonstration of gemstone faceting for export, was organized by the Nigerian export promotion council, Nasarawa state Coordinating office Lafia had in attendance local miners from across the state, brainstormed on ways of finding solution of using gemstone as means of survival.

The resource person at the event who is the general manager, Lustregems and Jewelry hub, Gerald Muoeboh, said the capacity workshop was inline with the agenda of the ministry of solid minerals that the minerals should be processed for value addition, stressing that the participants will be anquinted with requisite knowledge on how to utilize gemstone for exports.

According to him, gemstone market has experienced steady growth in recent years and that one of the primary drivers is the increasing demand for luxury goods among consumers across the world as more people seek out high products while the demand for high quality gemstone has risen.

Gerald Muoeboh, maintained that a growing interest in colored gemstone and crystal have also contributed to market growth in particular, emeralds, rubies and sapphires which have seen increased demand lately as consumers seek out unique and eye catching pieces of Jewlry, urging the participants to utilize the knowledge acquired to make meaningful impact in the society.

On his part, the head product development of NEPC, Itodo Daniel, said the programme was organized basically to finding ways of add value to product, stated that there are alot of gemstone in Nasarawa state but people mining them are unable to process it in the right direction calling on the participants to step down what they have learnt to the rest of miners in the state for the benefit of all.

One of the participants, Mr. Shedrack Emmanuel, commended the organizers of the training which according to him, will impact them the knowledge on how they can process gemstone into useful product calling for support from the government to enable them succeed.

The workshop featured a practical demonstrations on how to process gemstone into useful product to generate income.