Nigeria opened a $250 million lithium processing plant that underscores a wider push across Africa to capture more value from raw materials.
The plant, built by Chinese companies Jiuling and Canmax in the northern state of Nasarawa, will process 3 million metric tons of lithium ore per year. Northern Nigeria boasts commercial-grade lithium deposits that have attracted investment interest from global firms prospecting for green energy minerals. Chinese companies injected about $1.3 billion into developing lithium processing capacity in Nigeria between 2023 and 2025, according to Nigeria’s solid minerals minister.
Nigerian government officials hope that the new plant will make lithium batteries, a critical component in the growing global market for electric vehicles. Zimbabwe, the continent’s biggest lithium producer, is also looking to ramp up local processing. Lithium miners in the country recently asked the government for more time to build processing facilities before a ban on concentrate exports takes effect in January 2027.