According to Premium Times Nigeria, Oganyi Franklin made at least N7.6 million by selling illegally sourced lithium, an important mineral for renewable energy in just three weeks. He frequently promotes these materials on social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok.
After selling one batch, Mr. Franklin appeared in a Facebook live video on his friend's page on February 28, showcasing some whitish stones that he claimed were “lithium kunzite.”
Mr Franklin, dressed in a black T-shirt and jean hat, said the minerals are “high-graded and well-sorted.”
He then panned the camera to show his warehouse among some locked shops in a marketplace where such materials are openly sold in Bani, a restive lithium trading community straddling Oyo and Kwara states.
He is not the only one involved in this illicit business, which the Nigerian government claims is costing it a huge revenue loss. From mining to trading, thousands of Nigerians and foreigners are involved in the illegal lithium trade. In 2023, the mining sector contributed less than one per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Lithium, increasingly in demand for batteries for power storage, electronics and electric vehicles, is now among the priority minerals for the Nigerian government, which is trying to better regulate the extractive sector after many years of neglect and revenue losses.
However, despite recent crackdowns, lithium is still mined illegally, and much of that occurs in Kwara and Nasarawa states, which serve as sources for online mineral vendors like Mr Franklin. Despite lithium being mined in many states across Nigeria, the National Bureau of Statistics does not capture its export data in the country’s official trade numbers, suggesting illicit financial flows.
Illegal Traders Unveiled
Premium Times identified over 20 social media accounts that are marketing mineral resources, primarily sourced illegally.
These users belong to Facebook groups like Lithium Ore Nigeria Supply and Lithium Mining and All Mineral Resources in Nigeria, where they frequently showcase their products and invite potential buyers to contact them via WhatsApp.
Undercover as a buyer, our reporter engaged with several online traders and traced them to Kwara and Nasarawa states, where the government has repeatedly arrested illegal miners, including Chinese nationals.
Two of the online traders—Joshfa Monday and Mohammed Dadi—led the reporter to Kakafu village in Lade, located in the Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
REF: Premium Times
