All is set for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to travel to Nasarawa State to inaugurate a new 6,000-metric-ton lithium processing plant built by Chinese investors, Governor Abdullahi Sule announced on Wednesday.
Speaking with State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with the President at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Sule said the plant, located in Nasarawa Local Government Area, is the second of its kind to open in the state within a year.
The new facility doubles the size of the 3,000MT plant commissioned in 2023, further positioning Nasarawa as a rising hub in Nigeria’s fast-expanding lithium value chain.
Although Sule did not confirm a specific commissioning date, he noted that Tinubu would make the trip after returning from a two-week visit to France later this week.
“They said they were going to build a bigger one… they have just concluded building it, and it is ready for commissioning. Mr. President promised that on his return from his short vacation, he’s going to come to Nasarawa to commission the project,” Sule stated.
Lithium Boom in Nasarawa
Lithium, a critical mineral used in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems, is increasingly attracting international interest as the global energy transition accelerates.
Sule recalled that after last year’s commissioning of the 3,000MT plant, another group of Chinese investors, impressed by the quality and scale of Nasarawa’s lithium deposits, pledged to construct a larger facility.
“Because of how excited the investors were with the quality of lithium and the commercial deposit they noticed, they fulfilled their promise to build something bigger,” he explained.
The new project is one of several Chinese-backed facilities being developed in Nigeria. In May, the Federal Government disclosed plans to inaugurate at least two more lithium processing plants in 2025, part of a broader strategy to curb raw mineral exports and strengthen local refining capacity.
Federal Policy and Local Gains
The Ministry of Solid Minerals has already moved to restrict unprocessed lithium exports, citing successful models in Indonesia’s nickel industry and Zimbabwe’s lithium sector.
President Tinubu has declared Nigeria’s ambition to become a regional hub for lithium-ion battery and solar panel manufacturing, banking on the country’s vast mineral wealth to drive industrial growth.
Earlier this year, the government also announced the creation of a mining police unit to curb illegal mining activities, particularly in the north-central region, where artisanal operations remain widespread.
Governor Sule tied Nasarawa’s rapid development to Tinubu’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of exchange rates, which have boosted state revenues.
“There has been significant revenue improvement. With the huge improvement we have seen, we came with the passion to go ahead and do more. Instead of borrowing from the banks, we are now utilising the improved resources that we have,” he said.
As Nigeria deepens its push into value-added mineral processing, the commissioning of the 6,000MT Nasarawa lithium plant signals a key milestone in the country’s quest to tap into the global clean energy supply chain.
