Lithium Exploration: Nasarawa govt urged to sustain gains, investments

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AS lithium exploration activities and investments continue to increase, some stakeholders have urged the Nasarawa State Government to sustain the tempo.

The call was made ased on the significant impact made by a mining giant, Lideal Mines Limited through its operations in Endo community in Nasarawa State.

The community leaders also had recognised the immense contributions made by Lideal Mines Limited in transforming and boosting the local economy.

According to them, the company had created over 2,000 direct jobs and the stimulation of small and medium-scale businesses that had positively impacted the lives of so many families in the community and other adjoining communities.

The lithium project, which is being undertaken by Lideal Mines, is not only generating revenue for the government but also contributing to the country’s economic diversification agenda.

The company is investing in a processing plant that will produce lithium spodumene concentrate, marking a significant shift from raw mineral extraction to value addition.

Community leaders and industry experts are urging the Nasarawa State Government to maintain a stable and predictable policy environment to attract more investments to the sector and guard against undue influence by a cartel trying to dominate the mining industry in the state.

Meanwhile, speaking with newsmen, a youth leader in Endo Community, Felix Akor, noted that youth from the community have been gainfully employed by the company while he expressed gratitude to the company for showing that sense of responsibility to create employment opportunities.

Akor said: “Before Lideal Mines came, many of our young people had to leave the village in search of jobs in Abuja and other cities. Today, they are back home, working and earning a decent living.”

Other community leaders and industry experts also urged the Nasarawa State Government to ensure it sustains and maintains a stable and predictable policy environment that will create an environment for easy of doing business, which would attract more investments to the state and the sector.

However, they also counseled that it is important for the Nasarawa State Government to adequately guard against undue influence by a cartel who wants to hijack and dominate the state’s mining industry, and should be vehemently resisted and rejected.

An opinion leader from Udege axis, Fredrick Omakpo, said, “If we want more companies to come and invest, we must show that agreements are respected. Lideal Mines has done its part; the government must also do its part.”

However, Omakpo warned against attempts to derail the project, which he insisted respect for agreements and licences, saying, “No mining licence, no mining on our land.”

He also commended the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and mining marshals for protecting sites from land grabbers masquerading as miners, and called on the Governor of the state, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, to continue supporting legitimate investors, ensuring that laws and agreements are respected, saying: “How we treat investors determines if others will come to Nasarawa State.”

Speaking in the same vein, an NSCDC officer attached to the mining marshal who wants to remain anonymous maintained that the NSCDC is working assiduously and taking the fight against criminals in the sector deep into their territories as most of their illegal mining activities have been flushed out from the state and uphold the rights of licensed miners.

“In Nasarawa State, what intelligence has shown is that there is a cartel of entrenched interests trying to displace legitimate miners and take over their mines.

“As a law enforcement body, we cannot allow this to happen. We have to protect miners who have requisite licences to operate.”

Also the village head of Endo, Chief Audu Adagba, in his remarks highly commended Lideal Mines for adhering to its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, initiatives.

According to Adagba, the company had provided the youth with skills acquisition and training programmes while the community had immensely benefited from its infrastructural development.

“Lideal Mines has not only brought jobs but also hope. They are working with us to improve our community. This is the kind of partnership we need for sustainable development”, he added.