THE Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), in a recent report, has warned that Ghana’s plan to refine lithium domestically could cost the country up to $500 million in lost revenue. But this analysis, while financially cautious, falls short of capturing the bigger picture. Ghana isn’t just refining lithium. It’s refining its industrial future.
If Ghana gives in to the idea that short-term profit from exporting raw lithium is preferable to long-term value creation, it will once again miss an opportunity to lead Africa’s green transformation. And the stakes are growing.
Adesina: ‘Africa is tired of being poor’
No voice has echoed this imperative more forcefully than African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina. Speaking at the 14th Convocation Ceremony of the National Open University of Nigeria last week, Adesina declared: ‘The export of raw materials is the door to poverty. The export of value-added products is the highway to wealth. And Africa is tired of being poor.’
Ghana’s lithium refining strategy directly responds to this call. Rather than falling into the familiar trap of mining and exporting raw materials, Ghana is attempting to build an industrial ecosystem, starting with one of the most critical minerals of the 21st century.
Beyond revenue: value addition builds power
The NRGI’s argument is simple: refining lithium at home is expensive, Ghana lacks economies of scale, and the global market is dominated by players like China. Therefore, the smarter option is to export concentrate now and perhaps build local capacity later.
But this assumes Africa must always play catch-up.
Adesina rejects this mindset: ‘African countries must now develop via investment discipline. Benevolence is not an asset class.’
The value of beneficiation—processing raw materials into finished goods—extends beyond profit margins. It builds technological capacity, creates skilled jobs, boosts domestic industries, and strengthens sovereignty in a world shifting away from globalisation and towards regional power blocs.
Africa must lead the green transition
Lithium is a cornerstone of the clean energy economy, powering electric vehicles and batteries. As the world races toward decarbonisation, Africa’s natural resources are in high demand—but demand alone doesn’t guarantee prosperity.
That’s why the AfDB, under Adesina’s leadership, is developing the African Green Minerals Strategy. This initiative aims to guide countries like Ghana in adding value to their mineral wealth while protecting community rights and environmental integrity.
Adesina stated: ‘Africa must chart its future, relying not on the benevolence of others but on its own determination for self-reliance… Produce local, buy local, trade more locally.’
Ghana’s lithium refinery is not just a plant—it’s a statement of intent to take control of its role in the global energy value chain.
Waiting means losing
NRGI’s advice to ‘mine and monitor’ may sound sensible, but it risks keeping Ghana stuck in a cycle of extraction without transformation. Building refining infrastructure takes time. Building industrial capacity takes even longer. If Ghana delays now, it may miss the chance to become a continental hub for battery manufacturing and green tech.
Phasing development makes sense—but only if it’s part of a committed path towards beneficiation. Without action, favourable market conditions won’t matter. Ghana will be outpaced, once again, by countries that dared to invest early.
Youth, skills and the bigger vision
Africa’s future is youthful, digital, and industrial. As Adesina noted, 75 percent of the continent’s population is under 35. With the right policies, Africa can harness this demographic advantage to build a technology-driven economy rooted in its own resources.
Adesina urged African nations to invest in digital skills, entrepreneurial education, and industrial innovation—not just for inclusion, but for global relevance. Ghana’s lithium strategy could serve as a launchpad for training engineers, technicians, and entrepreneurs critical to the EV and battery supply chains.
This isn’t just about refining lithium. It’s about refining Africa’s development model.
Lead now, prosper later
Ghana’s lithium refining strategy deserves support, not scepticism. It aligns with the continent-wide call for value addition, it responds to the geopolitical need for diversified supply chains, and it reflects a leadership vision that recognises beneficiation as non-negotiable.
As Adesina rightly said: ‘Africa’s natural capital is grossly undervalued. Re-estimating our wealth could unlock financial resources and redefine our global economic standing.’
In that spirit, Ghana’s decision to refine lithium isn’t just bold—it’s necessary. The cost of not acting now isn’t $500 million in lost revenue—it’s another lost generation of missed industrial opportunity.
