Lagos, Nigeria – From the mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo to Brazil’s Cerrado, from Zimbabwe’s lithium belts to China’s vast processing hubs, a new global race for critical minerals is redrawing power maps, resurrecting colonial tensions, and exposing deep contradictions in the world’s transition to clean energy.
AfricaHeadline Reports Team
editorial@africaheadline.com
Lithium. Cobalt. Nickel. Rare earths. These are not household names, but they lie at the heart of a silent war among global powers and corporate giants. These critical minerals form the backbone of the so-called green economy — powering everything from electric vehicle batteries to wind turbines, missile guidance systems, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the world will need more than 3 billion tonnes of these mineralsby 2050 to meet net-zero targets. Demand for lithium alone is expected to increase by over 4,200% within the next two decades.
With calculated precision, China has built what some analysts are calling an “OPEC of minerals.” Today, it: Refines 90% of the world’s rare earth elements; Controls 70% of the cobalt supply chain; Manufactures 80% of global EV batteries
With more than US$35 billion invested between 2018 and 2024, Beijing has secured mining and processing contracts in countries like the DRC, Bolivia, Laos, Gabon, and Indonesia. A 2023 law now requires government approval for the export of over 40 strategic metals and compounds, signalling a clear message: China’s minerals are a diplomatic tool.
In response, the United States launched its Critical Minerals Strategy (2022–2027), pledging US$7.5 billion in subsidies for domestic mining and partnering with countries such as Zambia, the DRC, Chile, Australia, and Greenland.
But criticism has followed. In 2024, Inuit leaders in Greenland protested against large-scale mining agreements signed without public consultation. In Chile, environmental groups accused Washington of backing lithium expansion in territories sacred to Mapuche communities.
Home to some of the world’s largest reserves of lithium, niobium, and rare earth elements, Brazil could be a dominant player in the green transition. According to the Brazilian Geological Survey: 8.5 million tonnes of lithium; 20 million tonnes of rare earths
Yet less than 2% of these reserves are currently exploited. In 2024, investments amounted to only R$5.7 billion (US$1.1 billion). Legal bottlenecks and conflicts over indigenous lands — particularly in the Amazon — continue to stall progress.
Canadian company Appia Rare Earths faced legal action from Afro-Brazilian quilombola communities in Rio Grande do Norte, while illegal mining in protected zones has surged. The Imazon Institute reported the loss of 1,300 km² of forestin mineral zones in 2024 — a 22% increase over 2023.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) supplies over 70% of the world’s cobalt, yet remains among the poorest nations on Earth. Of every US$100 generated in the global cobalt battery value chain, less than US$8 stays in the DRC.
In 2023, President Félix Tshisekedi called for the renegotiation of six major mining contracts with Chinese firms, accusing them of “legalised looting.” The DRC’s mining sector remains plagued by: Child labour: over 40,000 children work in artisanal cobalt mines ;Militia violence and community displacement; Irreversible environmental degradation
Elsewhere on the continent, countries like Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe face similar dilemmas: how to attract investment without repeating the extractive patterns of the past.
Governments and corporations alike promise “ethical, green, and inclusive mining.” Yet the reality on the ground tells a different story: Refining rare earths generates up to 2,000 tonnes of toxic waste per tonne of product; Lithium extraction in Chile consumes over 1.9 million litres of water per tonne; Nickel mining in Indonesia has deforested more than 40% of Sulawesi island’s rainforests
In March 2025, Bolivia, Indonesia, and Mozambique led efforts at the United Nations to launch an International Treaty on Ethical Mining. But the proposal met resistance from G7 members.
Amid rising public pressure, some alternatives are emerging: Urban mining: recovering minerals from used smartphones, laptops, and batteries; Blockchain traceability: Tesla, BMW, and Renault now track mineral origins; “Green passports” for batteries: the EU will require full disclosure of sourcing, emissions, and impact by 2026
Still, adoption remains limited. Only 17% of lithium-ion batteries are currently recycled globally, according to the World Bank.
The global race for critical minerals is not just about energy or climate — it is about who controls the next century’s economy. At stake is not only a battle between East and West, but also between development and exploitation, technology and tradition, progress and sovereignty.
As the Global South bears the brunt of extraction, pollution, and displacement, many are asking: Can the green transition be truly clean — if it is built on the same foundations of old injustice?
The world must answer soon — before the green gold turns red with consequence.
