Photo: Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Kaduna State has launched Nigeria’s first lithium processing plant, as part of Governor Uba Sani’s push to position the state as a hub for solid minerals and environmental sustainability.
Located in Kangimi village along the Kaduna-Jos highway, the facility has a processing capacity of over 30,000 tonnes of lithium daily. Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Alhaji Abubakar Buba, revealed the development during a ministerial briefing.
Buba said the plant is central to the governor’s strategy to unlock Kaduna’s mineral wealth—over 70 identified resources, including gold, tin, coltan, and titanium. He added that the Kaduna Mining Development Company recently secured 18 additional mineral titles, and a partnership with Core International is underway to create a Mining Development Roadmap.
In 2024, the state generated ₦30 million from mining, with higher projections for 2025. Efforts to curb illegal mining are also yielding results through increased surveillance and the integration of former illegal miners into cooperative societies.
Kaduna is also leading in environmental reforms. It is the first sub-national entity in Nigeria to adopt both a State Policy on Climate Change and a Position Statement.
Through collaboration with the ACReSAL project, the state has trained 500 women and youths in eco-friendly briquette production, providing alternatives to firewood. It has also distributed 400 clean cooking stoves in partnership with WISE, a move aimed at reducing smoke emissions and deforestation.
Buba credited Governor Sani for securing Kaduna’s inclusion in the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to environmental excellence.
“Kaduna was rated the cleanest city in northwestern Nigeria last year. This year, our goal is to become the cleanest state in the country,” he said.
