Lithium in Nigeria: Where It Is Found, How It Is Mined
Nigeria holds some of West Africa's most promising lithium reserves. This guide covers where deposits sit, who is mining them, how the federal government regulates the trade, and what structured data is missing across the value chain.
Does Nigeria have lithium?
Yes. Nigeria has confirmed lithium deposits across at least seven states, hosted primarily in pegmatite formations that also carry tantalite, columbite, and tin. The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development list lithium as a strategic mineral, and small-scale extraction is already active, particularly in Nasarawa State.
What is missing is not the resource. It is the data infrastructure around it: verified production volumes, chain-of-custody records, regulatory tracking, and export documentation that institutional buyers and regulators can rely on. That gap is the reason Beldium exists.
Which states in Nigeria have lithium?
Lithium-bearing pegmatites follow Nigeria's Older Granite belt across the middle and southwestern parts of the country. Activity is concentrated in the states below.
Nasarawa
The most active lithium-bearing state. High-grade spodumene and lepidolite documented around Wamba, Nasarawa Eggon, and Kokona LGAs.
Kogi
Confirmed lithium occurrences in pegmatite belts around Ijumu and Kabba/Bunu, often co-located with tantalite and tin.
Kwara
Pegmatite zones in Share-Tsaragi and Oro have returned lithium-bearing samples flagged for exploration.
Ekiti
Lithium-bearing pegmatites identified in Ijero and Ikole, historically mined for gemstones and tantalite.
Cross River
Occurrences reported in the Oban Massif pegmatite system, still at exploration stage.
Oyo
Pegmatite outcrops in Komu and Ibarapa zones contain lithium minerals at varying grades.
Plateau
Long-mined tin and columbite belts host pegmatite intrusions with lithium potential.
How lithium is mined in Nigeria
Nigerian lithium today is mined largely by artisanal and small-scale operators working pegmatite outcrops. Ore is hand-sorted, transported to aggregation points, and sold into intermediaries that grade and consolidate volumes for export.
A small but growing number of licensed mid-scale operators are formalising production through cooperatives, registered offtake agreements, and mechanised extraction.
The regulatory framework
The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 governs licensing, royalties, and export. The Mining Cadastre Office issues licences; the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development oversees policy and export approvals.
Since 2023, federal policy has restricted the export of unprocessed lithium, prioritising buyers committed to in-country refining and battery manufacturing.
Frequently asked questions
Does Nigeria have lithium?
Yes. Nigeria has confirmed lithium deposits across at least seven states, primarily hosted in pegmatite formations. The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has publicly identified lithium as a strategic mineral, and exploration and small-scale mining are already active, especially in Nasarawa State.
Which state in Nigeria has the most lithium?
Nasarawa State currently shows the highest documented activity, with spodumene and lepidolite-grade ore mined around Wamba, Nasarawa Eggon, and Kokona. Kogi, Kwara, Ekiti, Cross River, Oyo, and Plateau also host confirmed lithium-bearing pegmatites at varying stages of exploration.
Is lithium mining legal in Nigeria?
Yes, under the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007. Operators need licences issued through the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), and exports are regulated by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. The federal government has restricted the export of unprocessed lithium to encourage domestic value addition.
When was lithium discovered in Nigeria?
Lithium-bearing pegmatites have been known to Nigerian geologists for decades, but commercial-grade discoveries gained public attention from 2022 onward, when the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency and Ministry of Solid Minerals Development began publicly highlighting strategic lithium reserves in Nasarawa and surrounding states.
Who buys lithium from Nigeria?
Demand currently flows toward battery-grade refiners and intermediaries supplying the EV and energy storage sectors, with Asian processors historically dominant. Nigerian policy now favours buyers committed to local refining and lithium-ion battery manufacturing within the country.
From geology to institutional-grade supply
Knowing that lithium exists in Nasarawa or Kogi is the easy part. The hard part is connecting verified production, compliance, and logistics data so that regulators, buyers, and financiers can act on it. Beldium provides that data infrastructure layer across Nigeria's lithium value chain.