https://en.sputniknews.africa/20261105/nigeria-will-be-reckoned-with-from-raw-minerals-extraction-to-global-competitiveness-1090675918.html
"Nigeria Will Be Reckoned With": From Raw Minerals Extraction to Global Competitiveness
"Nigeria Will Be Reckoned With": From Raw Minerals Extraction to Global Competitiveness
Sputnik Africa
Nigeria has taken a potential step towards becoming a major supplier of critical minerals after unveiling high-grade deposits of platinum-group metals and rare... 05.11.2026, Sputnik Africa
2026-11-05T15:36+0100
2026-11-05T15:36+0100
2026-11-05T15:36+0100
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"Nigeria Will Be Reckoned With": From Raw Minerals Extraction to Global Competitiveness
Sputnik Africa
Nigeria has taken a potential step towards becoming a major supplier of critical minerals after unveiling high-grade deposits of platinum-group metals and rare earth elements, alongside a separate 3.3 million-tonne lithium reserve estimate.
At this year's African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit in Abuja, Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, described the Kaduna find as a "world-class" discovery verified by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, while Steron Mining and Company Limited disclosed the separate lithium estimate at its Abuja mining site. The announcements come as Nigeria seeks to turn its largely untapped mineral wealth into industrial growth and export revenue, with the government revoking more than 3,000 inactive mining titles, promoting domestic processing and highlighting an $800 million lithium-processing investment alongside a separate $600 million facility in Nasarawa State.Speaking on the African Currents podcast, Nigerian mining engineer and researcher Seun Olajuyi, a PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja, argues that Nigeria must move beyond exporting raw lithium and develop a domestic industry spanning mining, mineral processing, battery manufacturing, and electric vehicle production to unlock the mineral's full economic potential and create high-value jobs.For the full perspective and further insights from our guest, tune in to this episode of African Currents, a podcast by Sputnik Africa.Don’t miss an episode — beyond our website, you can also catch our episodes on Telegram.► You can also listen to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, Pocket Casts, Afripods, Podcast Addict.► Check out all the episodes of African Currents.
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"Nigeria Will Be Reckoned With": From Raw Minerals Extraction to Global Competitiveness
Nigeria has taken a potential step towards becoming a major supplier of critical minerals after unveiling high-grade deposits of platinum-group metals and rare earth elements, alongside a separate 3.3 million-tonne lithium reserve estimate.
At this year's African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit in Abuja, Nigeria's Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, described the Kaduna find as a "world-class" discovery verified by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, while Steron Mining and Company Limited disclosed the separate lithium estimate at its Abuja mining site. The announcements come as Nigeria seeks to turn its largely untapped mineral wealth into industrial growth and export revenue, with the government revoking more than 3,000 inactive mining titles, promoting domestic processing and highlighting an $800 million lithium-processing investment alongside a separate $600 million facility in Nasarawa State.
Speaking on the African Currents podcast, Nigerian mining engineer and researcher Seun Olajuyi, a PhD candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja, argues that Nigeria must move beyond exporting raw lithium and develop a domestic industry spanning mining, mineral processing, battery manufacturing, and electric vehicle production to unlock the mineral's full economic potential and create high-value jobs.
"Lithium is a highly reactive alkaline metal , which has become very important to the modern day power storage systems [...]. Lithium is an important component. So, it ranges from smartphones, small electronics, appliances, even up to electric vehicles, and also up to grid level energy storage that can power houses, industries; that makes lithium at this time critical and very important. It just presents us another source of revenue and also for global competitiveness. It gives us leverage in the global economy. We [Nigeria] will be reckoned with definitely. To ordinary Nigerians, if the value-chain of lithium is properly harnessed, then it means there will be creation of jobs in diversified areas: high-paying engineering, manufacturing, industry jobs, which can spring up as a result of a well-harnessed and a well-managed lithium value-chain [...]. So, for Nigeria, it means we can maximize the revenue potential of the lithium value-chain, because when you refine, you get more money," Olajuyi said.
For the full perspective and further insights from our guest, tune in to this episode of African Currents, a podcast by Sputnik Africa.
Don’t miss an episode — beyond our website, you can also catch our episodes on
Telegram.► Check out all the episodes of African Currents. 
