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

The report examines Nigeria's potential to leverage its critical mineral deposits—including lithium, cobalt, and copper—to drive economic diversification and meet climate goals. It identifies significant gaps in exploration funding, processing infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks, while highlighting the risk of over-dependence on foreign investors like China. The document recommends a comprehensive national strategy, increased investment in geological mapping, and the development of domestic value-addition capabilities to move beyond the export of raw materials.

• Nigeria possesses substantial critical mineral reserves, including estimated copper deposits exceeding 10 million tons and cobalt reserves of approximately 700,000 metric tons. It is estimated to have the fifth largest lithium reserves globally, with deposits primarily in the north-central and northeastern regions.
• The energy sector is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in Nigeria, producing 209 million metric tons in 2021, which represents 62.4 per cent of the total. Decarbonizing this sector and the transportation sector (which accounted for 18 per cent of emissions in 2021) requires critical minerals for renewable energy and electric vehicles.
• Nigeria's critical minerals industry is severely underdeveloped, characterized by a lack of processing facilities and a reliance on exporting raw materials. While the government established six processing plants in 2022 across various geopolitical zones, stakeholders report these are not yet fully functional.
• There is a critical underinvestment in mineral exploration; Nigeria spends approximately USD 2.5 million annually, far below peers like Côte d'Ivoire (USD 147 million) and Congo (USD 133 million). The report suggests an annual investment of USD 74.4 million to USD 100 million is needed for comprehensive surveys.
• The report highlights the economic advantage of downstream processing over raw exports, noting that in Australia, approximately 99.5 per cent of lithium's value is added through offshore processing, cell production, and battery assembly. Nigeria has already demonstrated a commitment to value addition by rejecting a lithium mining proposal from Tesla because the company would not commit to building a domestic battery manufacturing facility.
• Geopolitical risks are associated with the sector, particularly regarding China's significant investments in infrastructure and exploration. The report warns that over-dependence could lead to vulnerabilities and cites a case where a judgement debt related to the Guangdong Free Trade Zone put Nigeria in debt for USD 70 million.

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} }