Key points
- Nigeria is urging Chinese investors to establish lithium battery manufacturing plants in the country.
- Ambassador Abdulrahman Danbazau says Nigeria wants to move beyond exporting raw minerals to value-added manufacturing.
- The government says local battery production would create jobs, promote technology transfer and support industrialisation.
- Nigeria plans to deepen cooperation with China under existing bilateral and FOCAC frameworks.
Main story
Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, Amb. Abdulrahman Danbazau, has called for stronger Nigeria-China cooperation in lithium battery manufacturing, urging Chinese investors to move beyond mineral processing and establish production facilities in Nigeria.
Danbazau made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the African Mainstream Media Workshop organised by the International Department of the Communist Party of China in Beijing.
The ambassador said Nigeria’s abundant deposits of critical minerals, including lithium, presented an opportunity for the country to transition from a raw material exporter to a manufacturing hub.
He said the Federal Government was committed to ensuring that Nigeria derived greater value from its natural resources through local processing and manufacturing.
According to him, the government was encouraging Chinese companies operating in Nigeria to expand beyond processing minerals to producing finished products.
“What we are encouraging the Chinese investors to do is to make Nigeria the hub of manufacturing of batteries in Africa, so that not just Africa, even from Europe, they should come to Nigeria to purchase lithium batteries,” he said.
Danbazau said developing a battery manufacturing industry would create jobs, promote technology transfer and support Nigeria’s industrialisation drive, particularly for its youthful population.
He said Nigeria possessed the critical mineral resources needed for such an industrial push, while China offered the technology and manufacturing expertise required to support the country’s development objectives.
The envoy added that the partnership would also contribute to poverty reduction by creating employment opportunities and expanding economic activities.
He noted that Nigeria’s engagement with China was anchored on existing frameworks, including the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between both countries and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Danbazau said Nigeria was also seeking to deepen cooperation with China in manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, science and technology.
He stressed that bilateral partnerships should protect Nigeria’s interests while delivering mutual benefits for both countries.
The issues
Nigeria is seeking to maximise the economic value of its critical mineral resources by attracting investment in local manufacturing rather than relying on raw mineral exports, in line with its broader industrialisation agenda.
What’s being said
“We are encouraging the Chinese investors to make Nigeria the hub of manufacturing of batteries in Africa.” — Amb. Abdulrahman Danbazau, Nigeria’s Ambassador to China
What’s next
Nigeria is expected to continue engaging Chinese investors under existing bilateral cooperation frameworks to attract investment in battery manufacturing and other priority sectors.
Bottom line
Nigeria wants its lithium resources to drive domestic manufacturing, jobs and industrial growth by positioning the country as Africa’s hub for lithium battery production.
