Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Minister Leila Benali emphasized that the world faces an urgent need to increase the production of critical minerals, especially lithium, by more than 300% over the next six years to meet the rising demand for supplies required for energy and digital transformation projects.
This statement was made during her participation in the opening session of the seventh edition of the “Mauritanid 2025” conference on energy and minerals, held in Nouakchott under the theme “Mauritania, Land of Opportunities.” She called for sustainable investment that takes into account environmental, social, and governance standards.
Benali explained that the main challenge in the coming period lies in meeting a demand that will far exceed what has been extracted from minerals throughout human history. She pointed to the need to increase copper production by 25%, cobalt by more than 100%, and lithium by 300%.
She also highlighted the importance of Morocco’s role in the global value chain, considering its strategic position as a gateway between producing and consuming countries for minerals, and called for a unified African vision to transform natural resources into wealth with added value.
