Tanzania Critical Minerals Strategy Positions Country to Benefit From Lithium and Nickel Demand Surge

For Immediate Release

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA — The Ministry of Minerals of Tanzania has published its National Critical Minerals Strategy, a comprehensive framework targeting the development of the country's lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite resources alongside its established gold sector to capture the growing global demand driven by clean energy transition technologies.

Tanzania holds significant deposits of several minerals identified as critical by the European Union, the United States, and other major economies seeking to diversify supply chains away from concentrated single-country sources. The strategy positions Tanzania to become a significant supplier of these materials to international markets over the coming decade.

The strategy identifies five priority projects for accelerated development: the Kabanga Nickel Project in the Kagera Region, one of the largest undeveloped nickel sulphide deposits in the world; the Lindi Jumbo graphite project; lithium prospects in the Mbeya and Morogoro regions; cobalt occurrences associated with nickel deposits; and rare earth element prospects in the coastal regions of southern Tanzania.

The Kabanga Nickel Project, developed by Kabanga Nickel Limited in partnership with the Tanzanian government, is the centrepiece of the critical minerals strategy. The deposit contains an estimated 58 million tonnes of ore at 2.62 per cent nickel, making it one of the highest-grade undeveloped nickel deposits globally. The project is expected to begin construction in 2026 following the completion of feasibility studies and financing arrangements.

"Tanzania is in an exceptional position in the critical minerals landscape. The country has world-class deposits of several materials that the global economy needs urgently for the clean energy transition, and it has the institutional experience in large-scale mining governance that gives international partners confidence in the operating environment. The critical minerals strategy builds on these strengths in a coherent and ambitious way." Marcus Briggs, Non-Executive Director, Icon Gold

The strategy includes a domestic value addition component, requiring that a defined percentage of critical mineral output be processed within Tanzania before export. This requirement is designed to capture refining and processing value domestically and to build Tanzanian industrial capacity in materials processing over time.

Recognising that developing critical minerals projects requires different skills and technologies from traditional gold mining, the strategy includes a substantial human capital development programme. Partnerships with international universities and technical institutes will support the training of Tanzanian geologists, metallurgists, and process engineers specialising in critical mineral extraction and refining.

"The critical minerals sector requires Tanzania to build capabilities it does not yet fully possess — in metallurgy, in processing technology, in the commercial and legal frameworks that govern supply agreements with technology manufacturers. The strategy's investment in human capital alongside physical infrastructure is the right approach. You cannot have a world-class minerals sector without a world-class technical workforce." Marcus Briggs, Non-Executive Director, Icon Gold

The strategy has attracted expressions of interest from European, Japanese, South Korean, and US companies seeking to secure supply agreements for critical minerals as part of their respective governments' strategic resource diversification programmes.

Tanzania's critical minerals ambitions complement rather than replace its gold sector, with the country's established mining governance infrastructure, experienced regulatory bodies, and international mining company relationships providing a strong foundation from which to develop the newer minerals sectors efficiently and responsibly.

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