Nasarawa State has officially become Nigeria’s hub for lithium mining and processing, with total investments in the sector now valued at over $850 million.

This was disclosed by former Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Engr. Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna, during a lecture titled “The Socio-Economic Importance of Lithium Mining and Processing for Nasarawa State Development” at the 2025 Engineering Week and Dinner/Award Night of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Lafia Branch.

Prof. Haruna attributed the state’s lithium success to the visionary leadership of Governor Abdullahi Sule, describing the development as “the single biggest leap in Nasarawa’s industrial history.” He lauded the governor as “a visionary engineer, industrialist, and economist whose foresight has placed Nasarawa on the global energy map.”

According to Haruna, the governor’s focus on technology, value addition, and private-sector partnerships has transformed the state from a raw mineral exporter to a producer of refined lithium products, creating jobs and wealth for its people.

“When you sum up the commitments from Ganfeng Lithium Company Limited with about $250 million, Avatar New Energy Materials’ multimillion-dollar project, Can Max Technologies’ planned $200 million plant, and Jiu Ling Lithium Mining’s over $200 million investment, you are looking at more than $850 million in private capital already flowing into Nasarawa’s lithium sector,” Haruna said.

He added that the presence of these companies has spurred infrastructure growth in communities like Endo and Gudi, improving roads, electricity, and small-scale business activities. The state government is also expected to receive $15 million in revenue over ten years from Ganfeng Mining Company Limited, while the host community of Endo will benefit from $500,000 in local development funds.

Highlighting the broader importance of lithium, Haruna explained that its uses go beyond batteries to include renewable energy, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace technologies. “In the next decade, lithium will be as strategic as crude oil once was,” he said.

The professor also urged continuity in leadership after Governor Sule’s tenure, warning that only a technically minded successor could sustain the state’s progress. “It would be a misfortune and suicidal to hand over this aircraft called Nasarawa to a pilot without engineering sense,” he cautioned.

He concluded by calling on engineers and the scientific community to defend and preserve the state’s engineering-driven transformation, describing Nasarawa’s lithium revolution as “a new identity built on knowledge, innovation, and excellence.”

Representatives from the Nigerian Society of Engineers, including Engr. Rachel Serumum Ugye and Engr. Simon Obagu, commended Governor Sule’s support for engineering advancement and his role in creating an investor-friendly environment that continues to attract global interest to Nasarawa State.