Nigeria Commissions West Africa’s Largest Lithium Processing Plant to Boost Battery Minerals Value Chain

Nigeria has commissioned what the Federal Government describes as West Africa’s largest lithium processing plant, marking a major step in the country’s strategy to capture more value from the rapidly expanding global market for battery materials. According to the Nigeria Customs Service, Premium Times, and Nairametrics, the facility, located in Endo Community, Nasarawa State, has a daily processing capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes and an annual capacity of three million metric tonnes. President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the project reflects Nigeria’s commitment to shifting from exporting raw minerals to processing them locally for greater economic value.

Developed by Diamond New Energy Company Ltd., the processing plant is expected to play a central role in Nigeria’s emerging critical minerals industry, producing lithium used in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and renewable energy storage systems. During the inauguration, Vice President Shettima said Nigeria’s mineral wealth must be transformed into industrial development through value addition, describing local processing as essential for creating jobs, developing technical expertise, and strengthening domestic manufacturing. Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake added that the project demonstrates the success of the government’s policy to discourage the export of raw minerals in favour of domestic beneficiation.

The commissioning comes as countries around the world intensify competition for critical minerals needed to support the global energy transition. Nigeria possesses commercially viable lithium deposits across several states, including Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Ekiti, Kaduna, Plateau, Oyo, and Cross River, positioning the country as an emerging player in the global battery supply chain. Government officials said the new facility has already created more than 1,000 direct jobs and over 2,000 indirect jobs, while strengthening investor confidence in Nigeria’s mining sector.

For Nigeria, the project represents a significant milestone in efforts to diversify the economy beyond oil and gas while expanding participation in the fast-growing clean energy market. Analysts say investing in downstream mineral processing rather than exporting raw ores could increase export earnings, attract additional foreign investment, create skilled employment, and position Nigeria as a regional hub for battery materials and critical mineral processing in West Africa.