News Editor
By David Odama
A Chinese company, Jiuling Lithium Mining Company is to invest over N$200m in the establishment of lithium processing factory in Endo, Nasarawa State.
Managing Director of Jiuling Lithium Mining Company, Xiong Jin who disclosed this during a tour of the factory site by the state governor, Abdullahi Sule reiterated the commitment of his company to build one of the largest Lithium Mining Company in Nasarawa state.
While giving specific technical details about the size of the factory, Xiong Jin confirmed that Jiuling would pay graduates employed to work at the mining site a minimum of N500, 000.
The company MD, Jin however called for the state government support in the area of security and infrastructure urging the citizens of Nasarawa state to take advantage of company’s presence to aquire relevant technical skills to be able to benefit from the company.
Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state have again appealed to the citizens of Nasarawa State, especially the youths, to make themselves useful by studying technical courses that would afford them the opportunity to be marketable and to take advantage of working in the sprouting Chinese mining companies in the state.
Governor Sule stated this shortly after inspecting the progress of work at the construction site of the Jiuling Lithium Mining Company in Endo, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.
It would be recalled that the inspection visit was prompted by the Governor’s recent trip to China where he visited the headquarters of Jiuling in Yichun, China and also met the chairman of the company who promised to establish similar industry in Nasarawa State.
Sule noted that the only way the citizens of the state can maximize the benefit derivable from the Chinese mining companies coming into the state is for the citizens especially the youths to be qualified, having studied relevant courses.
Fielding questions from journalists shortly after inspecting the facility, Governor Sule said the people of the state stand to benefit better if they study courses that are relevant for them to gain employment with Jiuling Lithium Mining Company.
“While I was in China, I sought to find out how this industry will be of benefit to both Nasarawa State, people of Nasarawa Local Government and indeed, the people of Udege Development Area. I asked them questions, and they started with employment.
“They said they would employ all our citizens, especially qualified technical people, and they promised to pay them a minimum of N500, 000. That is what I also confirmed.
“We have seen a few of the engineers. The appeal I will like to make to our people is that most of the technical people that we have seen are from other states, some from Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, and Plateau. While I am very happy and excited is that there are people from Nasarawa State, I will like our people to use the opportunity of studying careers that would give them the opportunity to work in places like this.
“If they have sufficient qualified technicians and engineers from Nasarawa State, they would employ them first. But if they don’t, they would not abandon their factory. They would go elsewhere,” Gov. Sule said.
“As an engineer, I am satisfied with the environmental protection mechanism put in place. It’s very technical to begin to explain this to a layman. Somebody would say it is dusty and not safe for the environment. The way you protect the environment is to ensure you do not cause pollution in the area. If you look at the pit being excavated, it is a pit that is in layers, meaning that the entire environment is protected. From the engineering point of view, they have done that. They have done their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and they are abiding by that,” he said.
Governor Sule assured that his administration would support Jiuling in the areas of infrastructure like roads, water supply and electricity disclosing that plans are on to step down power from the national grid in order to cut down on the cost of production.
The Governor also assured that, in collaboration with the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, as well as the Minister of Defence, appropriate steps are being taken to ensure that Jiuling Lithium Mining Company operates smoothly in Nasarawa State.
“With Sinoma, you have brought in a highly respected company that is known worldwide. I know Sinoma very well and the quality of work that they do. I am looking forward to the day I will come to commission this project. I am happy with the way Sinoma is working from the mining site.
“I am going to watch carefully because the mining site that they have at the cement plants built for the Dangote Group in Ogbajana and Ibeshi they have a good conveying system that helps them protect the environment. They do not use trucks to move around.
“They use a belt conveyor, and I am sure they will use the system here. So that it would protect the environment here in Udege. It would protect the Nigerian workers. It would also protect the Chinese workers,” he added.
