Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State has inaugurated a $200 million lithium mining and processing plant in Boko village, Zurmi Local Government Area of the state.
The facility, known as the Zamfara Lithium Mining and Processing Plant, is a joint investment by ZAM Mining Company Ltd, Bima Mines Ltd, Jinlide Mining Co. Ltd, and other strategic partners.
Speaking during the inauguration on Saturday, Governor Lawal said the project reflects his administration’s commitment to transforming Zamfara’s abundant mineral resources into sustainable economic opportunities that will directly benefit the people.
He noted that although Zamfara has long been recognised for its rich deposits of solid minerals, the true value of those resources lies in how responsibly they are managed to improve the lives of citizens.
“For many years, our state has been known within and outside this country as a haven of vast mineral deposits. Our land is blessed with abundant resources; the measure of this blessing is how it is responsibly harnessed to improve the lives of our people,” the governor said.
Lawal explained that his administration has introduced reforms aimed at formalising mining activities, attracting credible investors and strengthening collaboration with the Federal Government to ensure the mining sector contributes meaningfully to economic growth.
He said the increasing global demand for lithium and other critical minerals presents Zamfara with an opportunity to move beyond the export of raw minerals to local processing and industrial development.
“The establishment of this processing plant is consistent with our vision to move beyond extraction towards local processing, value addition, skills development, and industrial growth,” he said.
The governor assured both local and foreign investors that the Zamfara State Government would continue to provide an enabling environment for responsible mining operations through enhanced security, improved infrastructure and investor-friendly policies.
“Let me assure all genuine investors that Zamfara State Government will continue to provide the enabling environment to succeed. We will strengthen security collaboration, improve infrastructure, and develop policies that promote sustainable development,” Lawal said.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that mining activities are conducted in accordance with the law while safeguarding the environment and delivering tangible benefits to host communities.
“I hereby state unequivocally that our administration is committed to mining activities that respect the law, protect our environment, and provide direct benefits to our communities,” he added.
Governor Lawal also charged the operators of the lithium processing plant to prioritise the welfare of host communities by creating employment opportunities, transferring technical skills, protecting the environment and implementing impactful corporate social responsibility programmes.
“The people’s well-being must be enhanced. I therefore mandate that the operators prioritise local employment, skills transfer, community development, environmental protection, and meaningful corporate social responsibility,” he said.
Describing the inauguration as the beginning of a new phase in Zamfara’s economic development, the governor expressed optimism that the investment would stimulate industrial growth, create jobs, attract additional investments and position the state as a major player in Nigeria’s emerging critical minerals value chain.
The $200 million facility is expected to boost local value addition in lithium production, reduce dependence on the export of raw minerals and support Nigeria’s broader ambition of developing a globally competitive solid minerals industry.
