*Dr. Oladele Alake, Minister for Solid Minerals Development, at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a 16,000-tonne Lithium battery factory, in Nasarawa State, affirms the project align with the cardinal policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to create wealth and聽 generate employment opportunities for the teeming youths through value addition to extractive industry in Nigeria

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Dr. Oladele Alake, Honourable Minister for Solid Minerals Development, has restated the overarching policy of value addition by any company with requisite licence and permits to mine minerals in Nigeria.

Dr. Alake, who made a clarion call to potential investors that the era of exporting raw materials is over, stated this Thursday, October 12, 2023, in Lado village, Udede Development Area, Nasarawa Local Government Area (LGA) of Nasarawa State.

The occasion was the foundation stone-laying ceremony of a factory for processing of Lithium battery, established by the Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited.

The Minister said: ”Under my supervision I will emphasise value addition as a policy of government for the mine sector, urging all stakeholders and potential investors to embrace it, so as to boost the economy to bring Foreign Exchange (Forex).鈥�

Alaba Balogun, Head of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, stated聽 while acknowledging the significance of the foundation stone-laying ceremony for processing a 16,000 tonnes Lithium battery, Alake noted that it would align 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.

鈥淚 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聽 possible.

鈥淭his administration will give you all support to make it a reality. It is is marketable and profitable,鈥� stated the Minister.

Alake commended聽 the courage and enterprise of Governor (Engr.) Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for the actualisation of the successful groundbreaking ceremony.

He took the opportunity of the occasion to urge his peers to imbibe this economic recovery policy.

The Minister further 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.

He stated: 鈥�’Constructive industrial development can only survive and flourish in an atmosphere of peace.鈥�

Presenting his address on the occasion, Governor Sule of Nasarawa State poured encomium on the Federal Government and Ministry of Solid Minerals Development for facilitating the establishment of a 13,000 capacity Lithium battery energy plant in the state.

The governor also said: 鈥淭oday, I am fulfilled, to see the realisation of my dream.鈥�

The company, when fully operational, will employment 2,500 indigenes with the additional benefit of capacity building.