China has committed to establishing solid mineral processing facilities in Nasarawa State, with Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Hu Dunhai pledging to encourage Chinese companies operating in the state to move beyond extraction and build processing plants locally, a development that could create jobs, deepen industrial growth, and help Nigeria retain more value from its mineral wealth.

The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by Ambassador Hu to Governor Abdullahi Sule at the Government House in Lafia, according to reports published on October 20 and 22, 2026.

Ambassador Hu said Chinese companies in Nasarawa would be “encouraged to go beyond extraction to establish mineral processing facilities in the state, while training Nigerian workers and creating sustainable jobs in line with Nigerian laws and environmental regulations”. The focus would be on local value addition, technology transfer, and youth development.

The envoy also reaffirmed China’s “zero-tolerance” stance on illegal mining and pledged readiness to collaborate with the Nasarawa State Government to curb the menace. Beyond mining, he highlighted China’s zero-tariff policy for eligible African exports and urged Nasarawa businesses to explore the Chinese market, while offering support for youth training programmes and study tours.

Governor Sule noted that Chinese investments have already led to the establishment of mineral processing plants in the state, facilitated technology transfer, and equipped local workers with critical technical skills.

The most prominent example is the Diamond New Energy lithium processing plant in Nasarawa Local Government Area, which was inaugurated in July 2026 with a daily processing capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes of lithium ore — described as the largest such facility in Nigeria and West Africa. The plant represents an investment of approximately $250 million. In August 2026, the state signed a supplementary $2 million agreement with Diamond New Energy to secure continued feedstock supply for the refinery, protecting jobs and ensuring the state benefits from its mining licence.

The state has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chinese mining company Jinlide E Mining Nigeria Limited to develop lithium resources, with Governor Sule commissioning the Jinlide•Qiangyu New Energy plant in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, during an investment visit to China. Additionally, Ganfeng Lithium Industry has expressed its intention to train 100 Nasarawa indigenes on lithium refining processes.

Governor Sule has made mineral beneficiation and local value addition a cornerstone of his administration’s industrialisation agenda. The Governor welcomed the proposed youth training initiative, assuring that his administration, through the Human Capital Development Agency, would work to identify qualified candidates to benefit from the programme. He expressed optimism that sustained cooperation with China would “fast-track industrialisation, create jobs, and further strengthen Nasarawa State’s economy”.

Nasarawa has become one of Nigeria’s emerging mineral processing hubs, with commercially viable lithium deposits concentrated along the Nigerian Lithium Belt. The Federal Government has said ongoing mining reforms are expected to unlock about $2.6 billion in mineral processing investments, including an $800 million lithium processing project. Chinese companies have invested more than $1.3 billion in developing lithium processing capacity in Nigeria since September 2023, according to Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake.

The Ambassador’s pledge reinforces a pattern of growing Chinese involvement in Nasarawa’s mining sector, moving from raw extraction toward processing and refining. For Nigeria, the development aligns with the Federal Government’s policy of requiring local value addition before export approvals. For Nasarawa, the potential benefits include job creation, technology transfer, and increased internally generated revenue. The key test will be whether the pledged processing facilities materialise and whether they deliver the training and employment opportunities that have been promised.