—Project signals growing investor confidence in solid minerals sector, says Gov Sule
President Bola Tinubu is set to visit Nasarawa State to commission a new 6,000-metric-ton lithium processing plant built by Chinese investors, Governor Abdullahi Sule said on Wednesday.
Speaking to newsmen after he met with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Sule disclosed that the facility, located in Nasarawa Local Government Area, is twice the size of a 3,000MT plant inaugurated in the state last year.
He said the commissioning would take place after the President’s return from France, where he is scheduled to spend two weeks beginning later this week.
“They promised to build a bigger one. They have just completed it, and it is ready for commissioning. Mr. President assured us that upon his return from his short vacation, he will come to Nasarawa to inaugurate the project,” Sule said.
Nasarawa, in north-central Nigeria, is emerging as a hub in the country’s expanding lithium value chain. Lithium, a critical mineral used in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems, has drawn growing interest from foreign investors amid the global energy transition.
Sule recalled that the success of last year’s project spurred fresh investor confidence: “Because of the quality and commercial quantity of lithium they discovered, the investors were excited and committed to building something bigger. They have now fulfilled that promise.”
Since 2023, the Federal Government has prioritised value addition in solid minerals to curb raw exports and boost domestic refining.
In May, authorities announced plans to commission at least two Chinese-backed lithium processing plants in 2025 as part of this beneficiation drive.
The new Nasarawa plant is one of several Chinese-supported projects following extensive exploration and confirmation of commercial-grade deposits in the state.
The Ministry of Solid Minerals has also unveiled plans to restrict lithium exports, adopting models similar to Indonesia’s nickel policy and Zimbabwe’s lithium strategy, in order to strengthen local processing and job creation.
Governor Sule further linked Nasarawa’s infrastructure growth to the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, particularly fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate unification, which he said have boosted state revenues.
“With the significant revenue improvement, instead of borrowing from banks, we are now deploying our enhanced resources to drive development,” he said.
Earlier this year, President Tinubu declared Nigeria’s ambition to become a regional hub for lithium-ion battery and solar panel production, leveraging rising global demand and the country’s vast mineral wealth.
To support this vision, the Federal Government has launched a mining police unit to tackle illegal mining, especially in the north-central region where artisanal operations are widespread.
