Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable.

Lithium is an element valuable for the production of glass, aluminum products, and batteries. It is mined from ores of petalite LiAl(Si2O5)2, lepidolite K(Li,Al)3(Al,Si,Rb)4O10(F,OH)2, spodumene LiAl(SiO3)2 and also subsurface brines.

Because of its high reactivity, lithium never occurs free in nature, and instead, only appears in compounds, usually ionic ones. Lithium occurs in a number of pegmatitic minerals, but is also commonly obtained from brines and clays. 

On a commercial scale, lithium is isolated electrolytic ally from a mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride. In Nigeria, minerals containing lithium ore can be found mainly in Northern part of the country and they are used in the production of mobile phone batteries.

A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. The anode (positive electrode) of a conventional lithium-ion cell is typically graphite made from carbon. The cathode (negative electrode) is typically a metal oxide. The electrolyte is typically a lithium salt in an organic solvent.

Lithium batteries, as opposed to alkaline, are capable of giving off a strong energy surge after a long period of low discharge. This makes them ideal for fire alarms. Alkaline batteries provide good, long-term power, but they lose strength over time.

Lithium-ion batteries are generally more expensive but have better performance and are becoming the preferred technology. The different types are:

Lithium-cobalt oxide battery. It is used in consumer electronics and is finding application in electric vehicles. It is relatively cheap.

Lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt is a newer, higher performing range of battery chemistry. It is mainly developed for the electronic vehicle market but is finding a wider use because of its increasing cost effectiveness.

Lithium iron phosphate, the safest technology with relatively high performance but relatively expensive. It is very popular in China but is likely to become overtaken by Lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt over the longer term; and

Lithium-nickel-cobalt-aluminium oxide developed to reduce cobalt consumption and is known as a solid performer and of reasonable cost. It is also becoming popular outside China.

Lithium-ion batteries are also utilized for providing backup power supply for commercial buildings, data centers, and institutions. In addition, lithium-ion battery is preferred for energy storage in residential solar PV systems.

These factors will boost the growth of the energy storage systems application segment in the forecast period. Lithium-ion batteries are used in numerous industrial applications such as power tools, cordless tools, marine equipment and machinery, agricultural machinery, industrial automation systems, aviation, military and defense, electronics, civil infrastructure, and oil and gas.

The global lithium-ion battery market size was valued at USD 41.97 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of eighteen point one percent (18.1%) from 2022 to 2030. The automobile sector is expected to witness significant growth owing to the rising adoption of electric vehicles. 

In Nigeria, lithium minerals (spodumene and lepidolite) are known to be associated with cassiterite, columbite-tantalite (coltan) and others in the extensive belt of rare metal-bearing rock types called pegmatite.

These rock pegmatites stretch from the Wamba area, Nasarawa State, north central; through Egbe-Isanlu, Kogi State; north central, Ondo-Ekiti States, south west; to the Ife-Ilesa, Osun State; south west.

Another belt in the western half of Nigeria, stretching from Zamfara and Kaduna States, north west; through Niger and Kwara States, north central; and Oyo State, south west; is known to host the rare metal-bearing pegmatites. Some have also been found in Obudu, Cross River State, southern Nigeria.

Within these belts, dozens of occurrences of the rare metal-bearing pegmatites are recorded and some are known to have lithium-bearing minerals. 

Setting up a lithium ion battery manufacturing (LIB Manufacturing) plant in Nigeria would enable the country take maximum advantage of the mineral.

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