Key points
- Africa Mineral Strategy Group has urged Nigeria to maximise the value of its lithium resources.
- The group says Nigeria should focus on processing lithium rather than exporting it in raw form.
- Lithium is a critical component in batteries used in electronic devices and electric vehicles.
- Several African countries are adopting policies to encourage local mineral beneficiation.
- Value addition could help Nigeria generate more revenue, jobs and industrial growth.
Main Story
The Africa Mineral Strategy Group (AMSG) has urged Nigeria to strengthen local processing of lithium and other critical minerals to maximise economic benefits from the country’s natural resources.
Chief of Staff to the Secretary-General of the group, Patrick Mulindwa, made the call while speaking on NTA’s Good Morning Nigeria programme, where he highlighted the growing global demand for lithium and its importance in modern technology. Mulindwa said lithium has become one of the world’s most strategic minerals because of its central role in battery production for electronic devices, renewable energy storage systems and electric vehicles. According to him, Nigeria possesses significant lithium deposits and is well-positioned to benefit from the global energy transition if it develops industries that process and manufacture lithium-based products locally.
He stressed that exporting raw lithium limits the country’s ability to capture the full economic value embedded in the mineral, noting that greater benefits would come from refining, processing and manufacturing activities within Nigeria. The official said efforts by Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chairman of the Africa Mineral Strategy Group have helped drive conversations across the continent on mineral beneficiation and value addition.
He noted that several African leaders, including those of Uganda and Kenya, have increasingly advocated policies aimed at discouraging the export of raw minerals and promoting domestic processing. Mulindwa argued that developing value-added industries around lithium could support industrialisation, create jobs, attract investment and strengthen Africa’s position in global supply chains for battery and clean energy technologies.
The Issues
- Export of raw minerals with limited economic returns.
- Growing global demand for lithium and battery materials.
- Need for local processing and manufacturing capacity.
- Industrialisation and job creation opportunities in the mining sector.
- Africa’s role in global clean energy and technology supply chains.
What’s Being Said
- “One of the most important conversations Nigeria is having is AFNIS,” Patrick Mulindwa said while discussing Africa’s approach to critical mineral development.
- “Everything electronic has got a battery, and that’s its life,” he said while explaining the growing importance of lithium in modern technology.
- “One of the major minerals is lithium and Nigeria has a lot of that,” Mulindwa said while highlighting the country’s resource potential.
- “We will not export it raw because we need to have it value added at home,” he said while urging African countries to prioritise local mineral processing and manufacturing.
What’s Next
- Nigeria is expected to continue developing policies that encourage local mineral beneficiation.
- Investors may increase interest in lithium processing and battery-related industries.
- African countries are likely to deepen collaboration on value addition strategies for critical minerals.
- Policymakers may introduce further measures to reduce dependence on raw mineral exports.
Bottom Line
As global demand for lithium continues to rise, stakeholders say Nigeria has an opportunity to generate greater economic value by processing its lithium resources locally rather than exporting them in raw form.
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