Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Oladele Alake has called on potential investors, saying the era of exporting raw materials is over.
The Minister also restated the policy of value addition by any company with the requisite license and permits to mine Minerals in Nigeria.
This was made known in a statement made available to journalists by the Head of press and PR of the Ministry, Mr. Alaba Balogun.
Alake stated this in Lado village, Udede Development Area, Nasarawa local government, Nasarawa State, Northcentral, Nigeria which is the site of the foundation stone laying ceremony of the factory for processing of Lithium battery, established by the Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited.
Continuing, the Minister said ”Under my supervision I will emphasise value addition as a policy of the government for the mining sector, urging all stakeholders and potential investors to embrace it, so as to boost the economy to bring foreign exchange.
While acknowledging the significance of the foundation stone laying ceremony for processing a 16,000 tons Lithium battery, Alake noted that it aligns with the policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to create wealth and generate employment opportunities for the youths through value addition to the industry.
To this end, the Minister said: ” I chose to honour the invitation to participate in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the factory because my presence will provide moral support to deliver this project as fast as possible.”
”This administration will give you all support to make it a reality. It is marketable and profitable”, he added.
The Minister also commended the courage and enterprise of the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule for the actualization of the successful groundbreaking ceremony, while urging his peers to imbibe the economic recovery policy.
Furthermore, Dr Alake emphatically admonished the project community to nurture a harmonious relationship with the company to engender mutual benefits to the community, state and country at large. ”Constructive industrial development can only survive and flourish in an atmosphere of peace’‘, the Minister stated.
In his address, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State lauded the Nigerian Government and Ministry of Solid Minerals Development for facilitating the establishment of a 13,000 capacity Lithium battery energy plant in Nasarawa State.
”Today, I am fulfilled, to see the realization of my dream’‘, Abdullahi Sule stated.
The Company when fully operational will employ 2,500 indigenes with the additional benefit of capacity building. Dominica Nwabufo
