The Executive Secretary, Khalil Nur Khalil, and the MD of the Kaduna Mining Development Company observed the first Lithium processing plant being built in Nigeria by Ming Xin Mineral Separation Nig Ltd.

Lithium is the best material used to create strong, portable batteries. With the inauguration of this plant anticipated for April of this year, Kaduna (Nigeria) is firmly cemented as the perfect location for investors in sub-Saharan Africa.

Last year, the Nigerian Government was urged by the Miners Association of Nigeria to monitor Chinese miners’ scavenging for lithium.

The association’s National Secretary, Mr. Dele Ayanleke, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday, 31st August 2022 in Abuja. Due to increased demand for electronic vehicles, whose most expensive components—the car batteries—which require lithium to be manufactured, lithium prices have risen over the past few years.

The rate at which the Chinese were encroaching on mining sites in search of lithium minerals, according to Ayankele, was alarming. She also pointed out that lithium is one of the key components used to make the batteries that power electric cars, and that everyone is eager to transition away from fossil fuels.

Chinese are scavenging and mopping our raw lithium material at a discount rate to grow their economy, shifting from one mining location to the next. This is bad news for our economy’s future since it indicates that Nigeria would eventually purchase power batteries from them.

In order to start using lithium to create electric batteries, he added, “The Government should secure our lithium and resurrect all the dead battery-producing businesses in Nigeria.”

Asserting that granting the Chinese 100% control of mining assets is not acceptable for local mining investors, he also urged the FG to revoke 100% ownership of minerals extracted by foreign miners working in Nigeria.

According to Ayanleke, “one of the reasons kidnapping is on the rise in Nigeria is because we are allowing the Chinese to enter every mining site since they are the main target for kidnappers.”

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