Investments in lithium processing in Nasarawa State have reached approximately $850 million, positioning the state as Nigeria’s emerging hub for lithium mining and processing. This figure was disclosed by Engr. Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna, former Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), during the 2025 Engineering Week and Dinner/Award Night of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Lafia.
Professor Haruna credited Governor Abdullahi Sule for his visionary leadership, which has propelled Nasarawa into a new era of industrial growth focused on value addition and technology domestication rather than mere mineral exportation. The state now boasts lithium processing plants supported by investments from firms like Ganfeng Lithium Company Limited, Avatar New Energy Materials, Can Max Technologies, and Jiu Ling Lithium Mining Company.
These investments, totaling over $850 million, represent the single largest industrial leap in Nasarawa's history, promising substantial job creation, wealth generation, and technical capacity building for local communities. The partnership involving NASENI and the state government has also fostered technological innovation through the Solid Mineral Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (SOMMEDI) in Nasarawa town.
Part of the revenue-sharing arrangement includes $15 million to be received by Nasarawa State over ten years from Ganfeng Mining Company, with local communities like Endo benefiting from development funds. More than 100 residents have undergone lithium refining training in China, indicating a transfer of knowledge aimed at sustaining the industry.
Lithium’s strategic importance spans batteries, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace, making it pivotal to the future economic landscape, akin to Nigeria’s historic reliance on crude oil. This surge in lithium processing in Nasarawa represents Nigeria’s progressive shift toward industrialization and global competitiveness in the mineral sector.