Aufbau der nigerianischen Industrie für kritische Mineralien zur Unterstützung der globalen Energiewende

This research paper analyzes Nigeria's potential to become a key supplier of critical minerals (such as lithium, cobalt, and copper) for the global energy transition. While Nigeria possesses vast reserves valued at over USD 700 billion, the sector is hindered by severe underinvestment in exploration and a lack of functional processing infrastructure. The report emphasizes a shift toward domestic value addition—rejecting raw ore exports in favor of local battery and component manufacturing—and highlights the influence of foreign investments, particularly from China. It recommends a comprehensive national strategy and massive infrastructure investment to move from raw material extraction to high-value downstream production.

• Nigeria possesses significant deposits of critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies, with total solid mineral deposits estimated at over USD 700 billion. Specific reserves include over 10 million tons of copper and an estimated fifth-largest global reserve of lithium. Cobalt reserves are estimated at approximately 700,000 metric tons.
• The energy sector is the primary driver of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Nigeria, producing 209 million metric tons in 2021, which represents 62.4 per cent of the total. Other major contributors include agriculture (approximately 24 per cent) and transportation (approximately 18 per cent).
• Nigeria's critical minerals industry suffers from severe underinvestment in exploration and processing. Annual exploration spending is estimated at USD 2.5 million, far below peers like Côte d'Ivoire (USD 147 million) and Congo (USD 133 million). While the government established six processing plants in 2022 across geopolitical zones, stakeholders report these are not yet fully functional.
• The Nigerian government is prioritizing domestic value addition over raw material exports. This was evidenced by the rejection of a proposal from Tesla to mine lithium because the company could not commit to building a battery manufacturing facility within Nigeria.
• Significant private investment, largely from Chinese firms, is entering the sector. Examples include Avatar New Energy Materials' USD 100 million investment in a lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State and Canmax Technologies' USD 200 million investment in another plant in the same region.
• To bridge existing gaps and become competitive, the report estimates Nigeria needs substantial funding: USD 74.4 million to USD 100 million annually for exploration, USD 500 million per large-scale processing facility, USD 1 billion over five years for battery manufacturing, and USD 100 to 150 billion per annum for ten years to address infrastructure deficits.

APA

Oluwatola, T. (2025). Aufbau der nigerianischen Industrie für kritische Mineralien zur Unterstützung der globalen Energiewende. Africa Policy Research Institute. https://afripoli.org/de/aufbau-der-nigerianischen-industrie-fur-kritische-mineralien-zur-unterstutzung-der-globalen-energiewende-en

Chicago

Oluwatola, Tobi. Aufbau der nigerianischen Industrie für kritische Mineralien zur Unterstützung der globalen Energiewende. Africa Policy Research Institute, 2025. https://afripoli.org/de/aufbau-der-nigerianischen-industrie-fur-kritische-mineralien-zur-unterstutzung-der-globalen-energiewende-en.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Oluwatola |first1=Tobi |title=Aufbau der nigerianischen Industrie für kritische Mineralien zur Unterstützung der globalen Energiewende |publisher=Africa Policy Research Institute |date=25 September 2025 |url=https://afripoli.org/de/aufbau-der-nigerianischen-industrie-fur-kritische-mineralien-zur-unterstutzung-der-globalen-energiewende-en |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{oluwatola2025aufbau, author = {Oluwatola, Tobi}, title = {{Aufbau der nigerianischen Industrie für kritische Mineralien zur Unterstützung der globalen Energiewende}}, institution = {Africa Policy Research Institute}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://afripoli.org/de/aufbau-der-nigerianischen-industrie-fur-kritische-mineralien-zur-unterstutzung-der-globalen-energiewende-en}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }