Vice President Kashim Shettima has reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to creating jobs, developing skills and expanding its industrial base through the solid minerals sector, saying the country is ready to play a leading role in the global minerals economy.

Representing President Bola Tinubu at the commissioning of Diamond New Energy Projects, one of Africa’s largest lithium processing plants in Nasarawa State, Shettima said Nigeria must move beyond exporting raw minerals to value addition through local processing and manufacturing.

He described the project as a vote of confidence in the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms and stressed that transforming mineral resources into finished products would boost industrialisation, create employment and strengthen local businesses.

Governor Abdullahi Sule said the investment reinforces Nasarawa’s position as a leading mining destination and urged more local and foreign investors to explore the state’s vast mineral resources.

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said reforms in the sector have attracted global investors, expressing confidence that mining would become a major driver of economic growth and poverty reduction.

Other stakeholders, including Senator Ahmed Wadada, urged the company to establish lithium battery manufacturing in Nigeria to maximise value addition, while Diamond New Energy said it plans to expand its operations to meet growing global demand for lithium products.