ABUJA, May 19 (AGCNewsNet) – The Federal Government of Nigeria has granted approval for the establishment of electric vehicle factories by Chinese companies, marking a significant milestone in the bilateral relations between Nigeria and China and paving the way for deepened industrial cooperation.

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, made the announcement during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, in Abuja. The ambassador underscored the importance of harnessing Nigeria’s vast solid mineral resources, particularly lithium, to drive the shift towards electric mobility.

“Nigeria is a great country blessed with tremendous natural resources,” Dunhai said. “China has always prioritized Nigeria in its foreign policy, and we are now deepening cooperation in line with the new strategic partnership agreed upon by Presidents Bola Tinubu and Xi Jinping.”

A statement issued by Segun Tomori, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, confirmed China’s plans to establish electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plants in Nigeria. The initiative is part of broader efforts to support Africa’s industrialization, a key focus of President Xi Jinping.

Minister Alake reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to welcome credible investors and emphasized the government’s new policy on local value addition. “For years, our minerals have been exported raw to fuel foreign industrialization. That must change,” he said. “We now prioritize local processing. With the abundance of lithium, we want to see local manufacturing of electric vehicles and batteries.”

The ambassador welcomed Nigeria’s local value-addition focus and reiterated China’s commitment to lawful and responsible investment. “Plans are underway to establish EV factories and other manufacturing ventures in Nigeria. Our companies are already active in the mining sector and are ready to scale up operations to align with Nigeria’s economic diversification goals,” Dunhai said.

He further assured that the Chinese government is committed to Corporate Social Responsibility and environmental compliance. “We maintain a zero-tolerance stance on illegal mining and are working closely with Nigerian authorities to prosecute any offenders.”

Minister Alake, while appreciating the longstanding partnership between both nations, expressed concern about recent incidents involving some Chinese nationals accused of illegal activities. He urged enhanced cooperation in weeding out bad actors.

“We have taken action against illegal operators, including some Chinese nationals. Isolated as these cases may be, they tarnish the image of compliant firms. We need your cooperation to ensure culprits are brought to justice,” he said.

The minister also noted that Nigeria’s newly launched Mining Marshals have begun making significant impact in curbing illegal mining, improving compliance, and boosting investor confidence in the sector.

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Source: The Punch