The Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum has sounded the urgent need for investment in exploration, resource mapping, and infrastructure to unlock Uganda’s mineral wealth. It says that Uganda’s untapped deposits of minerals such as gold, copper, cobalt, and rare earth elements present immense opportunities, especially with the rising global demand for critical minerals.

As the world transitions to clean energy systems, the demand for essential materials such as copper, cobalt, lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements is surging. These mineral resources are not only crucial for renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles but also for strategic industries such as defense.

The global supply chain of these materials is heavily reliant on a few countries, particularly China.

The Chairman of the of the Board of Trustees at the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, Sir Richard Kaijuka, says this creates opportunity for countries like Uganda, with its wealth of natural resources.

“It means that Uganda can position itself as a key supplier in the growing global market for critical materials. You’ve been told in terms of how we are endowed as a country; it’s amazing. We are talking about the potential. We are talking about the opportunities that lie ahead. The potential has been identified; they are essential for a bunch of production, especially electric vehicles plus electronics. With lithium, we have potential in the west, and with nickel, exploration has been made; the potential along the West Nile border, all the way to Gulu, is great. But a lot of work has to be done,” Kaijuka said during the 13th Mineral Wealth Conference in Kampala on Tuesday.