Menu

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has inaugurated a $200 million lithium mining and processing plant in Boko Village, Zurmi Local Government Area, describing the facility as a major step in the state’s push for industrialisation and economic growth.

The Zamfara Lithium Mining and Processing Plant is being developed through a joint investment involving ZAM Mining Company Ltd, Bima Mines Ltd, Jinlide Mining Co. Ltd and other partners.

Speaking during the inauguration on Saturday, Lawal said the project would help unlock Zamfara’s mineral potential through responsible investment, value addition, job creation and sustainable use of natural resources.

He said meaningful development could only be achieved through transparent resource management and an enabling environment that attracts responsible investors.

The governor noted that Zamfara’s abundant mineral deposits should become a catalyst for economic growth and improved livelihoods, rather than remain underutilised.

He said his administration had introduced reforms to move the solid minerals sector away from informal mining towards a regulated industry capable of attracting credible investors and creating shared prosperity.

“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, but the true measure of this blessing lies in how responsibly they are harnessed to improve the lives of our people,” Lawal said.

He added that the state government would continue to work with the Federal Government to promote lawful mining activities and ensure the sector contributes meaningfully to economic development.

Lawal said lithium and other critical minerals had become increasingly important to the global shift towards renewable energy, electric vehicles and modern technology, making local processing and value addition essential.

“We cannot remain only a source of raw minerals. We must participate actively across the value chain through local processing, skills development and industrial growth,” he said.

The governor assured genuine investors that the state would provide a conducive business environment through improved security, better infrastructure and policies that support sustainable mining.

He urged the operators of the plant to prioritise local employment, skills acquisition, environmental protection, community development and corporate social responsibility.

“The people of Boko Village and neighbouring communities must benefit directly from this investment. Their well-being must be enhanced, and this project must become a true partnership for development,” Lawal said.

Lawal congratulated the investors and other stakeholders involved in the project before officially declaring the Zamfara Lithium Mining and Processing Plant open.