South Africa is seeking to collaborate with Nigeria to harness its lithium reserves, a critical mineral for electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his country’s interest in partnering with Nigeria to drive the green energy transition and support the development of EV batteries on Tuesday in Cape Town, South Africa, as disclosed in a press release issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday.
“As part of the broader global transmission to a low-carbon economy, we must leverage the abundant natural resources that exist in our countries to promote green industrialisation,” President Ramaphosa said.
He added that “We should leverage each other’s capabilities in minerals processing. We must work together to ensure critical minerals are beneficiated at source.”
President Ramaphosa also announced that South Africa will support Nigeria’s bid to join the G20 club of the world’s major economies.
“Our population is going to grow by leaps and bounds, and therefore, as a continent, we are going to be a big noise, and we want that big noise to be recognized in the form of countries that will be part of the G20 right now,” he said.
The collaboration between Nigeria and South Africa on lithium and EV batteries is expected to promote green industrialization and support the development of clean energy manufacturing industries in both countries.
