In Nigeria’s lithium boom, many mines are illegal and children do much of the work

In Nigeria’s Lithium Boom, Illegal Mines and Child Labour Cast a Dark Shadow

In the sweltering heat of Pasali, Nigeria, six-year-old Juliet Samaniya spends her days crouched over jagged rocks, chipping away with a crude stone tool. Coated in dust, she works tirelessly for less than a dollar a day. Juliet should be in school, but the harsh reality of poverty means her family relies on the income she earns mining lithium—a mineral essential for the global clean energy revolution.

This scene is emblematic of a growing crisis in Nigeria, where a burgeoning lithium mining industry exploits its most vulnerable: children. Despite laws prohibiting child labour and mandating education, weak enforcement, corruption, and poverty have created a perfect storm for widespread exploitation.

The Lure of Lithium

The global demand for lithium, crucial for batteries in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage, has transformed Nigeria into a new frontier for mining. Communities like Pasali, located near Abuja in Nasarawa State, have become hubs for small-scale, often illegal mining operations.

Lithium mining began in Pasali about a decade ago, and what was once a quiet village is now dotted with active and abandoned mine shafts. Local miners use primitive, dangerous techniques, such as chiselling rocks and blasting open the earth with dynamite. Children like Juliet often sort through the mined rocks for valuable fragments, working in perilous conditions.

The demand for lithium has also drawn the attention of Chinese businesses, which dominate Nigeria’s poorly regulated extractive industry. A recent investigation by the Associated Press (AP) uncovered that Chinese companies purchase lithium with little regard for its source or the conditions under which it is mined. RSIN Nigeria Limited, one such company, declined to comment on these allegations, while the Chinese embassy in Nigeria asserted that its companies operate in compliance with local laws.

The Human Cost

According to the International Labour Organization, more than one million children globally work in mines, with Africa bearing a disproportionate share of the problem. In Pasali, children as young as five work long hours in hazardous conditions. They risk injury from collapsing walls, toxic dust, and premature dynamite explosions, with no access to protective gear or medical care.

Juliet’s mother, Abigail, knows her daughter belongs in school but says mining is the only way to make ends meet. Juliet was pulled out of her local elementary school because her family couldn’t afford the hidden fees. Though government schools are nominally free, expenses such as Parent-Teacher Association levies make education unattainable for many. In Pasali, school attendance has plummeted, with classes almost empty as children trade classrooms for mines.

“It’s dangerous, but it helps us survive,” says Aliyu Ibrahim, a lithium merchant who owns unlicensed mines and buys from others. Ibrahim admits children work at these sites, often because they are orphans or come from impoverished families.

The Illicit Supply Chain

Illegal mining in Nigeria thrives on informal networks and corruption. Miners sell lithium to middlemen like Ibrahim or directly to Chinese companies. Buyers rarely question the origin of the ore or the conditions under which it was extracted. The AP documented a sale at RSIN Nigeria Limited, where miners negotiated a deal without any scrutiny of labour practices.

Experts warn that the lack of regulation enables not only child labour but also significant environmental degradation and revenue losses for the Nigerian government. A parliamentary report this year estimated that illegal mining costs Nigeria billions of dollars annually.

Efforts to Combat Child Labour and Illegal Mining

The Nigerian government has launched initiatives to address these issues. Earlier this year, it introduced a “corps of mining marshals” to clamp down on illegal operations. Additionally, reforms to the Minerals and Mining Act aim to strengthen regulations. Social programmes, such as school feeding initiatives, are being revamped to keep children in classrooms rather than mines.

However, activists argue that these efforts fall short. “Revenue generation seems to have trumped the need to protect human rights,” says Philip Jakpor of the Renevlyn Development Initiative, which documents child labour practices in Nasarawa State. Human Rights Watch also stresses the need for governments and corporations to prioritise ethical sourcing of minerals.

A Glimmer of Hope

For children like Juliet, the future remains uncertain. Her mother dreams of a better life for her daughter—a life beyond the mines. “I still want her to go to school, have a better life, work in an office, not a mine forever,” Abigail says.

As global demand for lithium surges, the spotlight is now on governments, corporations, and consumers to ensure that the pursuit of clean energy does not come at the cost of human lives and dignity. For Nigeria, the challenge lies in balancing economic opportunity with the protection of its most vulnerable citizens.

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