The Story
“Inside Kogi State’s Lithium Mine: Foreign Interests, Community Tensions, Security Concerns Disrupt Operations”
https://www.dataphyte.com/topic/extractive/inside-kogi-states-lithium-mine-foreign-interests-community-tensions-security-concerns-disrupt-operations
by Kehinde Ogunyale
Other / Not Listed Here, April 29, 2025
The Pitch
TITLE OF STORY: Inside the illegal mining operations in Kogi state posing harm to children, communities
WHAT IS THE STORY ABOUT?
The story introspects into the illegal mining activities carried out in Kogi state and its effect on neighbouring communities. The report would also expose how the operationalization of mining activities in the community
HYPOTHESIS
That mining activities are illegal and operational in the Ejiba community, Yagba LG Kogi state. This illegal operation also involves women and children excavating lithium from the ground to sell to interested buyers.
WHAT HAS CHANGED?
Over time, the increasing demand for lithium opened more channels for illegal operations within the community where the mineral resources are found. This has, according to some sources, led to the engagement of young adults and children as mining labourers to sell based on the demands of their employers.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ALREADY? WHAT ANSWERS TO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
Some parts of the operation are legally operated with a license given to the private miners (Vau &Co) in the Local Government Areas of Yagba East and Yagba West LGAs of Kogi State Nigeria. However, aside from this operation, there are also illegal mining operations that mostly involve children who are allegedly employed by Fulanis; some of which have allegedly led to the deaths of many. The story would introspect into the two operations; that is, the impact of the private operation on the community and how the illegal mining operations are carried out.
SYNOPSIS
Lithium mining is an emerging industry that plays a crucial role in the production of lithium, a valuable mineral used in various applications such as electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy storage, and electronic devices. This mineral resource has a significant reserve in Africa, with Nigeria having the largest lithium reserves, estimated at around 21.4 million metric tons. Lithium is mined in about six states within the country, including Kogi state. Research shows that shallow drilling in Kogi has returned lithium concentrations of 217 parts per million from 35 meters in the brine layer and 392 parts per million from 10 meters in the clay layer. However, the heavy demand for lithium has forced several illegal operations within the state to include youths and young children in the mining operations. The price of lithium per tonne increased from around $6,000 in 2020 to over $78,000 in 2022 according to a study. Meanwhile, the casualties of these operations have led to deaths and environmental distortions in communities where the mining activities take place. This investigation intends to uncover several anomaly that occurs the the illegal mining of lithium in Kogi state. The report would highlight how the mineral resources are extracted from the ground, how much it has been sold, who are the buyers and how much labourers, or children, make during their daily mining activities. This would be juxtaposed with available data and contextual issues around environmental impacts in the affected community.