Kwara Secures $35m Chinese Lithium And Pharmaceutical Investments
Kwara State has secured two Chinese-backed investments valued at about $35 million, marking a significant boost to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s drive to deepen industrialisation and expand the state’s manufacturing base.
The investments include a $20 million lithium processing factory and a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant worth over $15 million, both promoted by ER-KANG Company Limited, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye.
Speaking during a meeting with Governor AbdulRazaq in Ilorin, the team lead of ER-KANG Company Limited, Sun Qing Rong, confirmed that the lithium processing factory has been completed and is already operational in the state.
Rong said the project aligns with the Kwara State Government’s policy of encouraging value addition and local manufacturing, noting that the company processes lithium into finished products rather than exporting the mineral in its raw form.
He disclosed that the lithium factory currently employs over 300 workers, the majority of whom are indigenes of Kwara State, contributing directly to job creation and skills development.
Rong further announced plans to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing company valued at over $15 million, adding that the project would be developed in partnership with the state government within the industrial park.
“This is one of the fruits of the meeting we held with Your Excellency in Beijing about two years ago. Today, the lithium plant is completed and operational. This year, we are starting the pharmaceutical company with the support of the state government,” he said.
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According to him, the pharmaceutical factory will be developed in two phases, focusing on large infusion and small-volume injection production lines, aimed at addressing shortages of essential medical products in the Nigerian market. Preparatory work for the project, he added, has largely been completed.
Rong commended the state government for providing what he described as an enabling and investor-friendly environment, while pledging strong corporate social responsibility to host communities.
Responding, Governor AbdulRazaq welcomed the investments, describing them as a major boost to employment, technology transfer, and economic growth in the state.
“We are willing to support you and others to invest more in our state,” the governor said.