- Amid looming global supply deficits
- Nigeria’s $34bn worth, largely unharnessed
- Many greenfield, development-stage projects
- $276bn needed to meet global demand
Rising global demand for lithium is positioning Africa, with deposits worth $5.6 trillion to attract foreign investment, accelerate local beneficiation and strengthen its role in securing the global battery supply chain.
A recent forecast by Wood Mackenzie projects that global lithium demand could exceed 13 million tonnes by 2050 under an accelerated energy transition scenario. This surge is expected to place significant pressure on supply, with deficits emerging as early as 2028. Without substantial new investments, existing lithium projects will struggle to meet demand beyond the mid-2030s.
Against this background, Africa’s growing pipeline of greenfield and development-stage lithium projects positions the continent as an increasingly important contributor to global supply security.
Africa’s lithium deposits are a major, rapidly growing part of the global battery supply chain, with key reserves located in Zimbabwe, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Nigeria, contributing to a total African mineral reserve value of over $5.6 trillion.
Zimbabwe is Africa’s largest lithium producer and holds the world’s largest lithium deposit, with 11 million tonnes at the Bikita mine.
Nigeria has significant deposits of high-grade lithium, with reserves estimated to be worth over $34 billion. These deposits, often found in pegmatite rocks, are largely concentrated in Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Ekiti, Cross River, Oyo, Plateau, and Kaduna states. The country’s lithium belt spans roughly 450 miles from the southwest to the northwest. The resource is frequently found in high-grade concentrations of spodumene and lepidolite.
Several companies have started constructing lithium processing plants in the country, according to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). The LSE said the Nigerian government is encouraging local processing rather than exporting raw ores, which has attracted particularly Chinese companies, such as Ganfeng Lithium and Jupiter Lithium which are involved, with over $1.3 billion in investments in lithium processing facilities.
The Manono Lithium Project in the DRC is one of the world’s largest, and is expected to start production in 2026. Also, Zijin Mining, AVZ Minerals and KoBold Metals are expected to begin operations at the Manono lithium project in mid-to-late 2026, marking the country’s first lithium output. Ranked among the world’s largest hard-rock lithium deposits, Manono is expected to begin exports shortly after commissioning, diversifying DRC’s mineral output while strengthening the continent`s contribution to the global electric vehicles and battery supply chain.
Other lithium projects are Mali’s Bougouni Lithium Project, producing around 125,000 tonnes of concentrate per year, with expansion underway. Ghana’s Ewoyaa project, scheduled for production, is projected to generate $4.8 billion over its lifespan.
In 2025, Africa ranked as the largest source of new lithium supply globally, with new output from the region exceeding that of the rest of the world combined. This milestone underscores the continent’s potential to scale production and strengthen its role in the global battery minerals market.
Even under a slower energy transition scenario, Wood Mackenzie projects that lithium markets will remain adequately supplied until 2037, before entering deficit. This outlook reinforces Africa’s strategic role as new projects across Mali, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Namibia advance toward production.
With an estimated $276 billion in new investment required to avoid the forecast supply deficits beginning in 2028, Africa Mining Week (AMW) says it is hopeful that Africa’s lithium-rich countries are well positioned to attract the capital needed to expand production and downstream processing.
AMW said its forthcoming mining investment event in October in Cape Town “will serve as a key platform for global investors, project developers and policymakers to engage on opportunities within Africa’s lithium sector”.
