Nigeria cracking down on illegal mining

Miners work at an illegal tin mining site in Jos, Nigeria, April 3, 2024. Women work at an Illegal tin mining site in Jos, Nigeria, April 3, 2024.

Nigeria's government is cracking down on illegal mining, making dozens of arrests of unlicensed miners since April for allegedly stealing the country's lithium, a critical mineral used in batteries for electric vehicles, smartphones and power systems.