Nasarawa: President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated a lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State with a daily processing capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes and an annual capacity of three million metric tonnes. The plant, owned by Diamond New Energy Company Ltd., is located in Endo Community, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the company has created more than 1,000 direct jobs and over 2,000 indirect jobs since it commenced operations in the area. Represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu described solid minerals as the enduring backbone of every economy, noting that no technology could thrive without them. He said that the Federal Government had accorded the sector high priority because of its strategic importance to Nigeria’s industrialisation and economic diversification agenda.
The president stressed that natural resource endowment alone could not guarantee national prosperity. ‘Natural resources may be a blessing, but only vision can turn them into wealth. Only institutions can protect that wealth. Only industry can multiply it, and only people can give it meaning,’ he said. Tinubu noted that meaningful development would only come through local processing and value addition despite the abundant deposits of lithium, gold, tin, iron ore, bitumen, coal and rare earth elements in Nigeria.
He emphasized the importance of transitioning from extraction to processing, highlighting that such initiatives represent confidence in Nigeria, Nasarawa State, and the reforms introduced by his administration. Tinubu described lithium as one of the defining minerals driving the global energy transition through battery technology, electric mobility, and renewable energy storage.
The president commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule for positioning Nasarawa State as a model for sustainable extractive industry development through policies that had attracted investors. Gov. Sule appreciated all stakeholders who contributed to the successful establishment of the processing plant and thanked the company for investing in the state. He urged more investors to explore opportunities in Nasarawa, assuring them of a conducive business environment and abundant deposits of various minerals.
Mr. Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, stated that the inauguration of the processing plant demonstrated the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s reforms in the mining sector. He reiterated the government’s commitment to ending the export of raw minerals in favor of local processing and value addition to create jobs, expand investment opportunities, and develop skilled manpower.
Alake expressed confidence that Nigeria would, in the future, manufacture lithium batteries, electric vehicles, mobile phones, solar panels, and other products that rely on lithium as a key component. Mr. Yu Chongqiang, Chairman of Diamond New Energy Company Ltd., said the company’s vision was to position Nigeria as a global leader in responsible mineral development, value addition, and industrial innovation. He highlighted the investment in advanced processing technology, infrastructure, workforce development, and environmental sustainability.