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Jiuling Lithium Mining Company, a Chinese corporation, has announced that it will invest more than $200 million in the development of a lithium processing facility in the Endo community, located in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. This move marks a significant step in the company’s expansion plans within the African mining sector.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule revealed that Jiuling Lithium Mining Company has committed to paying workers N500,000 in salary. During a site visit on Wednesday, the governor was shown around the factory location by the company’s representative, Xiong Jin, as part of a tour aimed at showcasing the company’s planned operations.
Assuring Governor Abdullahi Sule of the company’s ambition, Xiong Jin outlined Jiuling Lithium Mining Company’s goal to establish one of Nasarawa State’s largest lithium mining ventures. Providing insights into the technical aspects of the project, Jin emphasized that graduates working at the mining site would be offered a salary of no less than N500,000.
In his remarks, Xiong Jin urged the state government to provide support in securing the area and enhancing infrastructure. He also encouraged the citizens of Nasarawa State to take the opportunity to develop technical skills that would position them to benefit from the company’s operations. Governor Sule, acknowledging the company’s investment, appealed to young people to pursue technical studies that would equip them for the job market and empower them to contribute meaningfully to the state’s development.
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The governor’s inspection was a follow-up to his recent visit to Jiuling’s headquarters in Yichun, China, where he had a productive meeting with the company’s chairman, who assured him of the company’s plans to set up a similar operation in Nasarawa State. Speaking with reporters after the inspection, Governor Sule stressed that the residents of Nasarawa would be in a better position to benefit from the investment if they pursued studies that would make them qualified for employment opportunities with the Jiuling Lithium Mining Company.
He said, “While I was in China, I sought to find out how this industry will be of benefit to the people of Nasarawa Local Government Area and Nasarawa State at large. I asked them questions, and they started with employment. They said they would employ all our citizens, especially qualified technical people, and they promised to pay them a minimum of N500,000. That is what I also confirmed.
“We have seen a few of the engineers. The appeal I would like to make to our people is that most of the technical people that we have seen are from other states, some from Kogi, Benue, and Plateau. Why I am very excited is that there are people from Nasarawa State, I would like our people to use the opportunity to study careers that would give them the opportunity to work in places like this.”
