Managing the coming lithium boom (and bust) in select African states

Lithium-rich African countries would benefit from aggressively localizing refining and pursuing mine ownership structures that eliminate informational asymmetries vis-á-vis multinational companies.

I: Can African states ride the lithium boom?

The current push for accelerated energy transition raises questions not only about African states’ development prospects in an era of climate change, but also whether they will benefit from producing green metals.

Take the example of lithium. All over the world carmakers are hungry for the crucial mineral that …