Minister Dele Alake, Nigeria’s Mining minister has announced that the country is set to commission two major lithium processing plants this year, the first lithium processing plant worth an estimated $600 million is located near the Kaduna-Niger border and is slated for commissioning this quarter, while a $200 million lithium refinery on the outskirts of Abuja is nearing completion.
Both projects are to be executed with funding from Chinese investors, furthermore, two more processing plants are expected in Nasarawa state, which borders the capital Abuja, before the third quarter of 2025. The funding for the four facilities has been provided by Chinese firms, including Jiuling Lithium Three Crown Mines Mining Company and Canmax Technologies
Following a 2022 research by Nigeria’s Geological Survey Agency that attracted significant worldwide attention by identifying substantial reserves of high-grade lithium throughout six Nigerian states, there has been a push for domestic processing. These changes are a part of Nigeria’s larger efforts to improve its mining industry, which is currently undeveloped and accounts for less than 1% of the country’s GDP. 
