Nigerian Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Oladele Alake, has called on potential investors, saying the era of exporting raw materials is over. The minister also restated the policy of value addition by any company with the requisite license and permits to mine Minerals in Nigeria. This was made known in a statement made available to journalists by the Head of Press and PR of the Ministry, Mr. Alaba Balogun. The minister stated this in Lado village, Udede Development Area, Nasarawa local government, Nasarawa State, Northcentral, Nigeria.
This is the site of the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the factory for processing of Lithium batteries, which was established by the Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited. He urged all stakeholders and potential investors to embrace it so as to boost the economy to bring foreign exchange. While he acknowledged the significance of the ceremony for processing a 16,000-ton Lithium battery, Alake noted that it aligns with the policy of Tinubu’s administration to create wealth and generate employment opportunities for the youths through value addition to the industry.
Industrial development can only survive in a peaceful environment.
Because of this, the minister said, “I chose to honour the invitation to participate in the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the factory because my presence will provide moral support to deliver this project as fast as possible.” He said that the administration will give all the support to make it a reality. He also commended the courage and enterprise of the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, for achieving the successful groundbreaking ceremony, while urging his peers to imbibe the economic recovery policy.
Furthermore, Dr. Alake emphatically admonished the project community to nurture a harmonious relationship with the company to engender mutual benefits to the community, state and country at large. He said that constructive industrial development can only survive and flourish in an atmosphere of peace. This is worth noting as the level of hospitality of indigenes will determine to what extent the project will flourish. Many great projects have failed just because the locals of the communities did not care about it or even actively worked against its progress.
Illegal export of raw materials will be stopped by Customs.
In his address, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State lauded the Nigerian Government and the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development for facilitating the establishment of a Lithium battery energy plant in Nasarawa State. ”Today, I am fulfilled to see the realization of my dream,” he stated. When fully operational, the company will employ 2,500 indigenes with the additional benefit of capacity building. Represented by the minister at the ceremony, President Tinubu commended the company for initiating the project in line with the federal government policy and assured Ganfeng of the federal government’s support.
President Tinubu emphasized the fact that the era of exporting raw solid minerals from Nigeria is over. To further demonstrate the government’s seriousness to stop the illegal export of the nation’s solid minerals, he said that the FG is collaborating with the Customs to detect both major and minor raw materials from the ports. He said that the decision to set up a factory to make lithium batteries is a welcome development that will not only add value to the nation’s product but create direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians.
Factory will process millions of lithium tons annually.
Tinubu gave an assurance that the federal government will put in place measures to create an enabling environment for their operation in all their establishments in the country. Also speaking, President of Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited, Pan Quen, disclosed that the mega factory when completed would process 18,000 metric tons of lithium per day and 4.5 million metric tons annually. He explained further that the project has a duration of 24 months, adding that the factory would also have the capacity of providing 2,500 direct and indirect employment opportunities to Nigerians.
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