Episode Details

West African governments are demanding domestic mineral processing, from Guinea’s bauxite crackdown to Nigeria’s lithium push and Mali’s renegotiations. But the episode also asks a harder question: when does building a refinery at home create jobs and industrial power, and when does it become an expensive trap?

Show Notes

• Can Critical Mineral Deals Benefit Local Communities? Insights From ...: https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/07/can-critical-mineral-deals-benefit-local-communities-insights-from-ghanas-lithium-project
• [PDF] Refining the Strategy: The Economics of Lithium Value Addition in Ghana: https://resourcegovernance.org/sites/default/files/2025-04/refining_strategy_economics_lithium_value_addition_ghana_2025.pdf
• Guinea revokes Emirates Global Aluminium concession, transfers ...: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/guinea-revokes-emirates-global-aluminium-concession-transfers-assets-local-firm-2025-08-05/
• Nigeria opens Chinese-built $250mn lithium plant, targets leading role in ...: https://newsbase.com/story/nigeria-opens-chinese-built-250mn-lithium-plant-targets-leading-role-in-battery-supply-chain-453719