By Esther Akaa, Lafia
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has expressed satisfaction with the progress of the $200m Ganfeng Jiuling Lithium project in Endo, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the State.
Sule who made this known during an inspection and guidance visit to the project site, said that the project would provide employment opportunities for qualified technical personnel from the state, with a minimum salary of N500,000.
The governor, who had earlier visited China to learn more about the project, also assured that the company would prioritize employing citizens of the state, particularly those with technical skills.
However, he noted that most of the technical personnel currently working on the project were from other states, including Kogi, Benue, and Plateau states.
Governor Sule therefore urged the people of Nasarawa State to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the project by acquiring relevant technical skills.
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“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,” Sule added.
Speaking on the environmental condition of the mining , Governor Sule as an engineer himself expressed satisfaction with the environmental condition of the mining site.
He noted that the company had conducted an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and was taking steps to prevent pollution and protect the environment.
On his part, Mr. Xiong Jin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ganfeng, who spoke for Jiuling Lithium Company, reaffirmed his company’s pledge to construct a state-of-the-art lithium processing factory in the Endo community with an estimated investment of $200 million.
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During his address, Jin provided in-depth technical details about the factory’s dimensions and confirmed that Jiuling would offer a competitive salary of at least N500,000 to graduates employed at the mining site.
“We are committed to developing our host community. We have so far employed 800 indigenous and 1000 Chinese employees.
“We are prioritizing capacity development and skills acquisition of local employees,” he said.
Jin, however, emphasized the need for support from the state government, particularly in enhancing security and infrastructure in the area, saying that collaborative effort would facilitate the smooth operation of the factory and ensure the success of the project.