A miner carries on his shoulders a bag full of stones containing lithium at a mining site in Gidan Kwano, in Nasarawa state, on January 23, 2025. In a day's work, a worker fills three bags of 50 kg each, which earns him 150,000 naira ($100), twice the minimum monthly wage in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa where more than half the population lives below the poverty line. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global demand for lithium will increase forty-fold by 2040, a growth that cannot be met by the current main producers, Australia, China and Chile, alone. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP)
Godsent Ogbebor
At an open cast mine in Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Ibrahim Danjija carefully chips away at a chunk of white rock, collecting pieces into a sack. By the end of the day, he fills three 50-kilogram bags, earning N150,000 ($100) nearly twice Nigeria’s monthly minimum wage.
Danjija, 31, left Kano three years ago, drawn by promises of fortune in the booming artisanal lithium mining industry. Like many others, he sees lithium as a path out of poverty, fueled by global demand for the mineral used in electric batteries and mobile phones.
Across the region, makeshift mines have sprung up, many operating without permits. At Gidan Kwano, a group of miners declined access to journalists as women and children prepared explosives to break into the rock. Even those with permits often disregard safety and environmental standards.
Along the main road in Nasarawa, empty houses serve as warehouses where miners clean and sort lithium-rich rocks for buyers. Vendors like Matthew Danbala say the industry benefits everyone, with even children and women earning money by collecting and selling lithium ore.
Most of the buyers are Chinese, said a 43-year-old seller, Muhammed. “Either they come to our warehouse, or we take it to them,” he explained. “But mostly, they come to us—it keeps everyone employed.”
China, the world’s top lithium consumer, relies heavily on imports despite being the second-largest producer. Nigeria, eager to cash in on what has been called the “new oil,” is courting foreign investors while cracking down on illegal miners.
The government recently announced plans to require investors to establish processing plants in Nigeria a policy reportedly deterring interest from Tesla’s Elon Musk. However, Chinese companies like Avatar and Ganfeng have already set up local plants to process lithium before exporting it.
Experts warn that the sector needs better regulation. Uba Saidu Malami, president of the Geological Society of Nigeria, criticized the rapid and unstructured excavation by Chinese miners, calling it unsustainable. “They move in with excavators and start extracting without proper exploration,” he said.
Beyond environmental risks, the lithium rush is also fueling conflicts. Analyst Charles Asiegbu noted that disputes often arise between communities over resource ownership or between locals and mining companies. In some cases, expatriates have been attacked or kidnapped over unresolved grievances.
Despite the dangers, Danjija continues his work even through the rainy season, when landslides are common. Nearby, Fulani herders graze their livestock, unfazed by the frequent dynamite blasts echoing through the hills.
