- Construction of a $50M lithium processing plant near Abuja is the first in a national cluster strategy.
- Incentives include duty waivers on imported machinery, profit transfer ease, and strengthened security monitoring.
The Nigeria lithium processing plant has captured global attention after the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Dele Alake, pitched investment opportunities in London. He highlighted a $50 million plant and incentives including profit transfer ease and duty waivers on imported machinery. The announcement aimed to position Nigeria as a hub for mineral value addition.
At the Resourcing Tomorrow Annual Exhibition and Conference, Dr. Alake presented Nigeria’s breakthroughs in processing minerals. He noted that over $2 billion flowed into lithium and rare earth ore projects over the past two years. This success reflects the administration’s policy on local beneficiation to halt pit-to-port exports.
Dr. Alake said companies such as Canmax Technologies, Jiuling Lithium, Avatar New Energy Nigeria Limited, and Asba Group invested over $1.3 billion in lithium projects across the country. These projects are real infrastructure, involving bricks, mortar, and machinery. Notably, construction has begun near Abuja on the $50 million lithium processing plant, the first in a series of industrial clusters spanning Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, and Ebonyi states.
Furthermore, Nigeria recently broke ground on a $400 million rare earth plant by the Hasetins Group, signalling strong industrial momentum. The minister also highlighted the creation of Mining Marshals, tasked with enforcing mining laws and protecting operators. Advanced satellite monitoring will enhance compliance and track mining operations nationwide.
The Minister stressed that the combination of policy support, local industrial clusters, and investor-friendly incentives positions Nigeria as an attractive destination for mineral processing. He encouraged global companies to explore long-term partnerships and contribute to local value chains.