Lithium, Kaduna’s buried wealth
For decades, Southern Kaduna has been mostly associated with agriculture, recurring security concerns and untapped tourism potential. Beneath its rocky hills and vast farmlands lies another story, one that is now beginning to reshape conversations about Nigeria’s economic future. Nigeria holds an estimated $750 billion in untapped solid mineral wealth across 44 strategic sites. Locally, […]
For decades, Southern Kaduna has been mostly associated with agriculture, recurring security concerns and untapped tourism potential. Beneath its rocky hills and vast farmlands lies another story, one that is now beginning to reshape conversations about Nigeria’s economic future.
Nigeria holds an estimated $750 billion in untapped solid mineral wealth across 44 strategic sites. Locally, these resources, including lithium, gold, iron ore and bitumen, offer a massive opportunity to diversify the economy away from oil and generate significant local revenue.
The confirmation by the federal government that Kaduna State hosts a world-class polymetallic mineral province containing platinum group metals, lithium, nickel, gold, copper and rare earth elements has once again thrust Southern Kaduna into national and international attention.
While the announcement came as breaking news in Abuja, the story had quietly begun months earlier in the remote communities bordering Kaninkon chiefdom in Jema’a Local Government Area and Kagoro chiefdom in Kaura Local Government Area, where intensive lithium mining has been taking place away from public attention.
Weekend Trust’s visit to the mining corridor reveals an industry operating under security, strict access control and growing local expectations.
A heavily guarded mining corridor
The muddy road leading to the mining location tells little about what lies beyond.
Several kilometres into the rugged terrain, movement becomes increasingly restricted and only authorised personnel are permitted into the mining site.
Weekend Trust reports that operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Kaduna State Vigilante Service (KADVS) regulate movement into the area. One of them who spoke with our correspondent explained that only workers, licensed mineral dealers, company officials and persons with official clearance are allowed into the operational area.
“This place is restricted. You need approval before entering,” one security operative told our correspondent.
The tight security at the mining site reflects the strategic importance attached to lithium, a mineral increasingly regarded globally as “white gold” because of its central role in electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy storage systems and modern electronics.
A year of Commercial activities
Although neither the landowners nor representatives of one of the mining companies were willing to discuss details of the mining operation in the area, investigation indicates that commercial activities have been ongoing for close to one year. There are also negotiations involving landowners and the operating companies over various issues relating to land use and compensation.
It was observed that the companies use Monday to Thursday for mining while Fridays and Saturdays are for the landowners
Attempts by Weekend Trust to get official comments from company representatives yielded little response. Several communities’ stakeholders also maintained silence, citing confidential agreements. But the presence of heavy-duty machinery, security personnel and continuous movement of trucks leave little doubt that large-scale mining is ongoing.
Local residents said that in addition to lithium, preliminary findings also pointed to deposits of konzalite and associated minerals. However, official confirmation is being awaited.
Although access to the mining site remains tightly controlled, Weekend Trust gathered from a labourer who is familiar with the operations said that production intensified in one year. He disclosed tpphat each truck leaving the site is loaded with approximately 40 tonnes of lithium ore, while on active production days, more than 10 trucks are dispatched from the site.
Residents express hope, caution
Beyond the excitement surrounding the latest discovery, residents told Weekend Trust that what matters most would be for the mineral wealth to improve their daily lives.
John Tonah Daniel, a resident of Kaninkon chiefdom, told our correspondent that mining activities in the area generated curiosity among surrounding communities. However, many people know little about the scale of the project because of the tight security around the site.
“People know that something big is happening there because of the movement of trucks and the heavy security, but access is restricted, so most residents only hear information from workers and those who have permission to enter. We hope this project would bring jobs for our youths and improve our communities,” he said.
Daniel urged both the government and the mining companies to maintain regular engagement with host communities to avoid misunderstanding.
He said, “Mining should not only benefit the companies. The communities where these minerals are found should also feel the impact through roads, schools, health care and employment opportunities.”
Another resident, Tanko Gworok, said many people welcomed the federal government’s confirmation of the mineral discovery, describing it as a further proof that Southern Kaduna possesses enormous untapped economic mineral deposits.
“This announcement has renewed hope among our people. We have always believed that our land is blessed with valuable minerals. What we now want is responsible mining that protects our environment while creating opportunities for local people,” Gworok said.
According to him, residents are also expecting transparency in compensation arrangements with landowners.
“The government should ensure that agreements between mining companies and host communities are respected. Development should come alongside mining activities so that future generations will remember this period as the beginning of positive change,” he added.
The bigger picture
The quiet activities in Southern Kaduna received national validation when the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, announced the discovery of what he described as one of Africa’s most significant polymetallic mineral provinces.
Speaking during the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS) 2026 in Abuja, Alake disclosed that exploration carried out by a private company and verified by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency identified commercially significant deposits of platinum group metals, lithium, nickel, copper, gold and rare earth elements.
According to the minister, the discovery positions Nigeria among emerging destinations for strategic minerals critical to clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
“This is the first time I am announcing this publicly,” Alake noted, describing the discovery as a major milestone in President Bola Tinubu’s economic diversification programme.
‘Southern Kaduna’s mineral story did not begin today’
For residents of Jema’a Local Government Area, however, the latest announcement represents another chapter in a mineral story that began almost a decade ago.
In 2016, geologists announced the discovery of one of the world’s highest-grade nickel deposits in Dangoma, a community in Kaninkon chiefdom. The discovery generated excitement nationwide.
Government officials, foreign investors and mining experts visited the community, while residents anticipated rapid transformation through roads, schools, employment and health care.
A former Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr Kayode Fayemi, had projected that exploitation of Nigeria’s abundant minerals could contribute about $25 billion to the country’s gross domestic product.
Dangoma quickly became one of Nigeria’s most talked-about mining destinations.
High expectations, slow development
Ten years after that celebrated discovery, many residents said the expected transformation remained slower than anticipated.
Weekend Trust reports that although exploration continued in phases across Dangoma, Bakin Kogi and neighbouring communities, major infrastructure is yet to match local expectations.
Community leaders had signed agreements with mining companies, covering compensation for affected farmlands, environmental restoration after mining, classroom construction, boreholes, payment of examination fees for students and priority employment for qualified youths. But residents said some of these commitments were yet to be fully realised.
A former district head of Dangoma had earlier appealed for additional schools, improved health care and construction of the Dangoma-Godogodo road to support both farming and mining activities.
It is said that those requests remain relevant today.
Opportunities beyond extraction
Experts argue that the significance of the newly confirmed mineral province extends beyond simply exporting raw ore. Lithium has become one of the world’s fastest-growing strategic minerals because of increasing demand for rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, smartphones and renewable energy storage. Nickel is essential for stainless steel production, aerospace technology, batteries and industrial manufacturing.
Weekend Trust also reports that platinum group metals are indispensable in automobile catalytic converters, hydrogen fuel technology, electronics and jewellery. Rare earth elements support production of magnets, wind turbines, defence equipment and modern communication technologies.
If properly managed, analysts believe that Kaduna State could emerge as one of Nigeria’s leading mining investment destinations.
The federal government says lessons from previous mining experiences are shaping a different approach. According to Minister Alake, over 3,000 inactive mining licences have already been revoked to improve transparency and ensure that only serious investors retain mineral titles.
A government policy now also requires mining lease applicants to submit plans for local mineral processing rather than exporting raw materials.
The reforms have already attracted several billion-dollar investments in lithium processing plants and mineral refining projects across Nigeria. Official figures indicate that mining sector revenue increased from N6 billion before the current administration to over N70 billion by the end of 2025.
Host communities watch closely
Weekend Trust reports that in Southern Kaduna, excitement is mixed with cautious optimism as many residents hope that the renewed national attention would finally translate into visible development.
Their expectations include better roads, improved schools, health care facilities, clean water, employment opportunities and stronger environmental safeguards. Others hope that government would ensure that agreements between mining companies and host communities are fully implemented.
Traditional leaders and youth groups also said peaceful coexistence remained essential if communities are to maximise the benefits of mineral development.
Our correspondent further observed that with happenings around the mining site, security remains a major concern. The heavy security presence around the lithium site underscores another reality.
Also, strategic minerals have become increasingly valuable globally, making mining locations potential targets for illegal operators and criminal networks.
Security agencies therefore face the dual responsibility of protecting national economic assets while maintaining cordial relationships with host communities.
As residents of the mining communities continue to hope that the treasures beneath their soil would one day be reflected in better lives, the question on whether this hidden wealth would ultimately become a blessing or another missed opportunity will depend on responsible regulation, environmental protection, community inclusion, transparency and sustained investment.
‘Lithium, the new oil’
As the conversation on the economic potentials of lithium the immediate community and the country in general, experts have urge that the government prioritise local processing and value addition in its emerging lithium industry rather than exporting raw ore, arguing that developing a complete lithium value chain would create jobs, attract investment, boost industrialisation and diversify the country’s economy beyond crude oil.
The experts spoke while highlighting the economic potential of Nigeria’s growing lithium deposits, stressing that the country’s greatest gains would come from processing the mineral into battery-grade products and supporting downstream manufacturing.
Speaking with Weekend Trust on Thursday, a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Geosciences, University of Lagos, Dr Daniel Obasaju, described lithium as one of the world’s most strategic minerals because of its critical role in rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, renewable energy storage systems, consumer electronics, aerospace technologies and other advanced manufacturing industries.
for him, Nigeria’s lithium resources present an opportunity to diversify the economy, increase government revenue and attract foreign direct investment.
”However, the greatest economic value does not lie in exporting raw lithium ores, but in developing an integrated value chain through mineral beneficiation, production of battery-grade lithium compounds, battery manufacturing and other downstream industries,” Obasaju said.
He noted that Nigeria had already begun moving in the right direction with efforts to promote local processing of the mineral.
Obasaju cited the recent inauguration of what he described as West Africa’s largest lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State by President Bola Tinubu as a significant milestone in the country’s drive towards value addition.
According to him, the facility has a processing capacity of about 6,000 metric tonnes of lithium ore per day and an estimated annual capacity of roughly three million metric tonnes.
He added that the plant has already created more than a thousand direct jobs and over two thousand indirect employment opportunities.
”This demonstrates that Nigeria is beginning to shift from exporting raw mineral resources to processing them locally. This will create jobs, promote industrialisation, facilitate technology transfer and help the country retain greater economic value,” he said.
Obasaju urged the government to sustain efforts aimed at ensuring Nigeria maximises the benefits of its natural resources through local industrial development rather than dependence on raw mineral exports.
Similarly, applied geologist Oyelana Elijah said Nigeria’s lithium deposits, found in states including Nasarawa, Kaduna, Ekiti and Kogi, could become a major source of economic growth if processed locally.
He said lithium development would create employment across the mining value chain, provide an alternative source of revenue to crude oil and attract foreign investment into manufacturing and clean energy industries.
According to Elijah, lithium is a critical component in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage systems, making it increasingly valuable in the global transition to cleaner energy.
”It can help create jobs, attract foreign investors, improve energy storage, support manufacturing industries and provide another source of foreign exchange for the country,” he said.
Elijah, however, warned that Nigeria risks losing much of the mineral’s economic value by continuing to export raw lithium instead of processing it domestically.
“We export more lithium, but if we can process it in Nigeria, it would be much better for us. Only when we process it locally will we be able to derive greater economic benefits from the resource,” he said.
Nigeria has attracted increasing investment in lithium mining and processing in recent years as global demand for battery minerals continues to rise, driven largely by the growth of electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.
The experts maintained that strengthening local processing capacity and building downstream industries would enable Nigeria to capture more value from its mineral resources while creating employment and supporting long-term industrial development.