Plans are in place for two major lithium processing plants to be commissioned in Nigeria this year, a move that comes as countries across the African continent strive to add more value domestically and enhance leadership across the metals value chain.
Speaking on the plans, Dele Alake, Mining Minister for Nigeria noted, “We are now focused on turning our mineral wealth into domestic economic value – jobs, technology, and manufacturing.”
The plan for these plants encompasses a US$600M lithium processing plant by the Kaduna-Niger border, a $200M lithium refinery on the outskirts of Abuja, and two additional processing plans in Nasarawa state.
Over 80% of the funding for these four facilities has been provided by Chinese firms, such as Jiuling Lithium Mining Company and Canmax Technologies. The remaining portion was provided by Three Crown Mines, a local investor.
