FG Commends Progress in Hasetins’ Ongoing $400m Rare Earth Plant Project, Targets 10,000 Jobs

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A delegation of the federal government has visited the site of the ongoing construction of a $400m rare earth processing plant under construction in the Uke community of Nasarawa State, to assess the level of compliance with relevant regulations and standards.

The facility being constructed by Hasetins Commodities Limited,

will add 12,000 tonnes per annum to the company’s existing capacity, pushing its total output to 18,000 tons per annum (tpa), thereby placing Nigeria as number one in Africa, in the area of rare earth processing.

The delegation which included the Director, Mining Inspectorate, Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD), Mr. Ganiyu Imam and the Director, Mines Environmental Compliance, Dr. Vivian Okono, expressed delight about the progress made so far, the commitment of those behind the project and their willingness to play by the rules.

Imam said the delegation was satisfied with the level of compliance with relevant requirements and standards and urged Hasetins to ensure that all necessary precautionary and safety measures being put in place are sustained.

A Deputy Director in the MSMD, Mr. Oladehinde Oladusi, who stood in for Dr. Okono, commended Hasetins for the quality of work as well as modern standard equipment available at the site.

Oladusi said: “The commitment that we have seen so far in respect of the way the company is starting is different from the narrative of just bumping into our environment, break the ground and carry our minerals away.

“You can see equipment stacked properly, administrative block is there where you have the initial test machine to be put in place, and of course the cite under clearance”, Oladusi stated.

He specifically commended Hasetins for not only carrying out a proper environmental assessment of the community but also having on ground advanced technology that would reduce to the barest minimum the hazards and dangers associated with mining.

“One of the first things that impressed me when you are putting up something like this is definitely the environment will be touched and for this company to take the initiative to prepare a sound environmental and social impact assessment which is one of the prerequisites to commence this kind of big project.

“I am quite impressed and what we need to do now is to encourage them to see that most of the mitigation measures that are inside that document are put in place”, the deputy director noted.

“I mentioned something which is one of the key obligations of a mineral title holder to prepare environmental and impact assessment. When you mentioned rare earth minerals, the proponent already knows some of these minerals which are likely to contain some level of radioactive minerals.

“According to the MD there are other highly sensitive electromagnetic equipment that can separate anything that is included in this rare earth mineral to zero level. He talked about the UK standard they are following, whereby if any material that get off their production contains element of radioactivity, they would be changed”, he added.

Oladusi, observed that the mining sector would do well if the UK standard is adopted by Nigeria, by ensuring that firms found guilty of polluting the environment are brought to book.

According to him if a mining form knows that there is a penalty or consequences for what he is doing, they would take necessary steps to protect the environment as well as workers in their respective factories.

“Everything he did was just to tell us that this company is environmentally conscious and that is what we want. And from what you met us doing to sensitizing him on further environmental obligatory documents like the environmental protection and rehabilitation plan, where you dig, where you dump your waste, where you do some other activities, how you protect it and return it to near original state.

“This are some of the things we are in town to do sensitization so that they prepare the environmental assessment which is already a part of the environment and social impact assessment which they have prepared”, he said.

While commending the firm for putting in place a solid security arrangement, the director, however advised the management of Hasetins to put in place a solid community development agreement, to prevent crisis in the future when work fully commences and the company begin to make progress.

According to Oladusi, the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake is not taking this aspect for granted.

“We want to know how many catchment communities are here, target employment is going to be massive, when you have not started people would behave as if they are not interested but once you start you will see all kinds of things”, he said.

He stressed that a proper community agreement would ensure the transfer of socio-economic benefits to the host communities and in the long run ensure a win-win situation for everyone as well as establish a peaceful working environment.

“By sending invitation to us, to the ministry of solid minerals to be part of this occasion today, I feel that the company is not the type that shy away like some other countries and company who wants to shy away and do the shortcut.

Hasetins’ Managing Director and CEO, Prince Jidayi expressed appreciation to the FG, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake and his Special Assistant, Kehinde Bamigbetan for their continued support and encouragement.

Jidayi spoke about the many 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.

Jidayi said: “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.

The Hasetins boss added that aside from Uke project, which is the company’s central hub, “we are setting up regional separation centres and satellite separation centres 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,” he said.