.to create 10,000 jobs

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA- THE Nasarawa State Government has hailed the new $400 million rare earth and critical minerals processing project by an indigenous firm, Hasetins Commodities Limited, at Uke in Karu Local Government Area of the State.

The commendation was made by the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Princess Margaret Elayo during the inspection tour of the project.

Elayo said the inspection of the project is to ensure strict adherence with the state’s environmental policies, which according to her, the project is a milestone in the state’s industrialisation drive and a strategic catalyst for employment generation for the youth of the State, and also pioneer local processing of rare earth elements alongside critical metals including platinum, uranium, and chromium.

Meanwhile, the commissioner disclosed the full support by the Nasarawa State Government for the project, security, and commended the company for community development including road construction and borehole projects in its host communities.

Meanwhile, according to Hasetins Commodities Limited, the project when completed and operational will emerge largest of its kind in Africa, with a capacity of creating over 10,000 jobs.

Hasetins Commodities Limited specialises in processing and exploring rare earth elements and platinum group metals. Its facilities, built to OECD standards, currently process 6,000 tonnes per annum, making it a significant player in Nigeria’s critical minerals value chain. 

The new plant is also designed to let artisanal miners’ pre-process minerals locally, cutting out intermediaries and keeping economic benefits within host communities.

She said: “My presence here today is to show our encouragement to support this project. Over 8,000 are working already in its other facilities

“So, imagine this massive space, the kind of people that will come here to work. I see development already on ground.”

However, she (Elayo) also made it known that the government is seriously fighting against illegal mining by formally integrating artisanal miners into the company’s operations, identifying additional sites where such partnerships could be replicated.

“In terms of partnership, we have identified a couple of places that we can also introduce to the company, including the integration of artisanal miners,” she said, noting the firm already employs about 80 percent indigenes.

She reiterated commitment to community engagement, which she said the state government will donate 5,000 trees for planting at the project site, “With the activities of illegal mining, these are the kind of people we are looking for. In terms of partnership, we have identify a couple of places that we can also introduce to the company, including the integration of artisanal miners. This is a huge investment that we should all be proud of the government and the good people of Nasarawa.

“I want to commend them because this is the kind of investment and industrialisation that we are looking for; they are not only building facilities, they are engaging about 80 per cent of our indigenes.”

In his earlier remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Prince Jidayi, Hasetins Commodities Limited, expressed deep appreciation to the administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule and the Nasarawa State Ministry of Mining and Environment led by Princess Elayo for their continued support.

According to Jidayi, the commitment by the State is evident in the progress achieved so far in the execution of the project in terms of advancement that has been recorded, which can create a secure suitable structure for facilities as the nature being out in place by Hasetins.

He also made it known as he highlighted innovations that his company is introducing to the processing of rare earth and critical metals in the country, and assured his company’s host communities of continued support.

“For decades the narrative has been of raw extraction and immediate export. Hasetins is advancing that. This plant will process rare earth metals and other critical like Tantalum, Tungsten tin and others.

“In doing so, we are strictly deploying advanced, closed-loop processing technologies designed to minimize environmental impact, manage Tailings responsibly and protect local water bodies and air quality.

“We believe that extracting and processing the components of the world’s green energy transition must not come at the expense of our local environment”, he said.

Meanwhile, the Hasetins boss revealed that apart from the $400 million ongoing project, “We are setting up regional separation centres and satellite separation centre to integrate and formalize artisanal and small-scale miners into a structured, safe supply chain.

“We are equipping them with gears, safety, training, support and offering them offtake structures that increases economic stability at rural communities