Nigeria will open two lithium processing plants this year, shifting from exporting raw minerals to adding local value, Mining Minister Dele Alake said on Sunday.
The $600 million plant near the Kaduna-Niger border is due to be commissioned this quarter, while a $200 million refinery near Abuja is nearly complete. Two more plants are planned in Nasarawa state by the third quarter of 2025, Alake said.
The facilities, funded mainly by Chinese investors such as Jiuling Lithium Mining Company and Canmax Technologies, aim to create jobs and support technology and manufacturing growth. Local firm Three Crown Mines also has stakes in the projects.
The push for domestic processing follows a 2022 discovery of significant lithium reserves across six states, drawing global interest. Nigeria is also reforming its mining sector to formalise artisanal mining, restrict unprocessed mineral exports, and launch a state mining company allowing investors up to 75% ownership.
The Chinese firms did not immediately respond to requests for comment.