Minister for Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake has restated the policy of value addition by any company with requisite licence and permits to mine minerals, just as he made a clarion call to potential investors that the era of exporting raw materials is over.
He stated this at the foundation stone laying ceremony of a 16,000 tonnes Lithium battery processing factory established by the Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited in Lado village of Nasarawa State.
According to the minister, ”Under my supervision, I will emphasise value addition as a policy of government for the mine sector”. He urged stakeholders and potential investors to embrace it, so as to boost the economy to bring foreign exchange.
While acknowledging the significance of the ceremony, Alake said that the event aligns with the cardinal policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to create wealth and generate employment opportunities for the teeming youths through value addition to our extractive industry.
To this end, the minister said: ” I chose to honour the invitation to participate in the foundation stone laying ceremony of the factory because my presence will provide moral support to deliver this project as fast as possible.”
”This administration will give you all support to make it a reality. It is is marketable and profitable”.
He commended the courage and enterprise of Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule for the actualisation of the successful groundbreaking ceremony. He seized the opportunity of the occasion to urge his peers to imbibe this economic recovery policy.
Alake admonished the project community to nurture a very harmonious relationship with the company to engender mutual benefits to the community, state and country at large. ”Constructive industrial development can only survive and flourish in an atmosphere of peace”, the minister said.
Sule poured encomium on the Federal Government and Ministry of Solid Minerals Development for facilitating the establishment of the battery energy plant in his state.
”Today, I am fulfilled, to see the realisation of my dream”, Sule said.
When fully operational, the company will employ 2,500 indigenes with the additional benefit of capacity building.
