Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has presided over the signing of a $2 million supplementary lithium agreement between the state government and Diamond New Energy, following his recent visit to China.
The ceremony was held at the Nasarawa State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja, on Friday.
Speaking at the event, Governor Sule thanked the investors for their confidence in Nasarawa State and in Nigeria, describing the agreement as one that secures the interest of both the state and the company.
“By keeping your factory operational, we ensure that you continue to get raw material. That is the essence of this agreement, and that is the essence of us quickly obtaining that license before somebody else will get it. Now we have achieved both aims.”
”We are going to keep your factory functional, and we also have an interest as license owners in whatever you are doing in your company. More importantly, the people you have employed will remain employed,” the Governor said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Margaret Elayo, thanked the investors for their commitment to Nasarawa State and expressed hope that the partnership would encourage other investors to follow suit.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by officials of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, NASIDA, and management staff of Diamond New Energy and Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited.
The Governor also called on the company to continue to live in peace with host communities and to support their development, describing this as the surest way to secure the investment.
He disclosed that all payments due to Nasarawa State under the agreement would be made directly to the Nasarawa Mining Company Limited in foreign currency, with a provision for periodic review of the terms.
In a remark, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NASIDA, Ibrahim Abdullahi, recalled that the state government had in 2024 signed an exclusive mining cooperation agreement with the company, which led to the completion of the largest lithium processing refinery in West Africa.
He said the supplementary agreement builds on that foundation and further strengthens investor confidence in the state.
“This supplementary agreement gives credence to these issues. It further gives confidence to the investor to do even more within Nasarawa State. A key component is that we are giving permission for the continued supply of lithium materials from the state government’s block to serve as feedstock for the refinery, so that more youths and women of Nasarawa State can be employed,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the agreement comes with immediate financial benefit to the state, noting that Nasarawa State will receive two million dollars upon signing, with subsequent revenues to follow as outlined in the agreement.
A representative of Diamond New Energy, Mr David Siong, said the company remains committed to deepening its operations in Nasarawa State, including the processing of resources locally and the creation of employment for host communities.
“Diamond New Energy always insists on and firmly believes in the further development of resources in Nasarawa, the deep processing of resources, creating employment for the local community, and boosting local economic development. We look forward to the support of the state government to put this cooperation into practice,” Siong said.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Isaac Danladi, presented copies of the deed of assignment between the Nasarawa Mining Company Limited and Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited.
He explained that the deed transfers the mining rights and interest of the Nasarawa Mining Company within 3.5 mining cadastral units situated at Endo, Nasarawa Local Government Area, to Ganfeng Lithium Industry Limited, following what he described as a critical review by all parties involved.
