President Bola Tinubu on Thursday inaugurated what the Federal Government described as West Africa’s largest lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State, saying the project signals Nigeria’s shift from exporting raw minerals to building a value-added mining industry.
The lithium processing facility, located in Endo community, Nasarawa Local Government Area, has a daily processing capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes and is expected to process about three million metric tonnes annually.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the inauguration, Tinubu said the project reflects his administration’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s solid minerals sector into a major driver of industrialisation, job creation and economic growth.
He said countries become prosperous not because of abundant natural resources but because they develop the capacity to process those resources into finished products and create value for their citizens.
According to him, the plant represents more than a mining investment, describing it as a symbol of confidence in Nigeria’s economy and its ongoing reforms.
“Lithium has become one of the defining minerals of the global energy transition. This factory shows that Nigeria is moving from raw material extraction to value addition, creating jobs, building skills and expanding our productive capacity,” he said.
Tinubu added that the project aligns with the government’s broader industrial agenda aimed at positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global minerals value chain.
Governor Abdullahi Sule said the investment had already created more than 1,000 direct jobs and over 2,000 indirect jobs, while urging more investors to take advantage of Nasarawa State’s abundant deposits of lithium, gold, zinc, copper, iron ore and other solid minerals.
He assured investors of a conducive business environment, noting that the state’s proximity to the Federal Capital Territory gives it a strategic advantage for industrial development.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the commissioning validates the Federal Government’s policy of promoting local processing of minerals rather than exporting raw materials.
He reiterated that Nigeria would no longer encourage the export of unprocessed minerals, stressing that the policy is intended to create jobs, develop local expertise and strengthen domestic manufacturing.
Alake said the government’s long-term target is to establish industries capable of producing lithium batteries, electric vehicles, solar panels and other products that rely on lithium.
Speaking on behalf of Diamond New Energy, the company behind the project, Ambassador Yu Chongqiang said the investment reflects confidence in Nigeria’s mining sector and the country’s potential to become a leader in mineral processing and clean energy development.
He said the company has invested in processing technology, infrastructure, workforce development and environmental sustainability, adding that the Nasarawa facility forms part of a broader strategy to support local manufacturing and strengthen Africa’s clean energy supply chain.
(The Whistler)
