Steron Mining identified the polymetallic deposit near the Gidan Waya pegmatite region in the Jema'a Local Government Area. This discovery complements the company's recent reporting of 3.3 million metric tonnes of lithium reserves near Abuja, where total mineral resources are estimated at 94.8 million tonnes. While crude oil remains the country's primary revenue driver, solid mineral collections rose to 63.92 billion naira in the first 11 months of 2025, a sharp increase from 38 billion naira throughout 2024.

To capture greater economic value, the government now mandates local processing for all mining license applicants. The Mining Cadastre Office has purged over 4,700 dormant or illegal titles to deter speculative land hoarding. Chinese firms are already moving to capitalize on these reforms, with Jiuling Lithium Mining Company backing a 600 million dollar processing facility on the Kaduna-Niger border, and Canmax Technologies investing 200 million dollars in a Nasarawa State plant linked to the global EV battery supply chain.