MOGADISHU, Somalia – President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says Somalia holds confirmed deposits of uranium, lithium and cobalt as his government courts investors for a mining industry left largely undeveloped after decades of conflict, weak institutions and limited geological work.
Mohamud announced the mineral claims during the Somalia Development Financing Conference in Mogadishu on September 19. The gathering brought government officials, business leaders, private companies and development partners together to discuss financing for growth under National Vision 2060. The president placed minerals alongside agriculture, livestock, fisheries, energy and infrastructure as sectors expected to drive production, exports and employment.
The announcement carries global significance. Lithium feeds rechargeable battery supply chains. Cobalt supports batteries, aerospace materials and industrial applications. Uranium supplies nuclear fuel. Governments and manufacturers across Asia, Europe and North America now compete for secure mineral supplies as energy systems, electric vehicles, defence industries and digital infrastructure increase demand.
Somalia enters this competition from an unusual position. The country possesses a long coastline, strategic access to major shipping routes and geological records pointing toward several mineral occurrences, yet commercial mining remains small. The U.S. Geological Survey says Somalia produced only small quantities of gemstones, gold, granite, marble and salt through artisanal activity in 2024. Nonfuel minerals represented only a minor part of the economy.
Mohamud did not publish reserve volumes, grades, exact locations or mine development schedules for lithium and cobalt. No public feasibility study has established commercially recoverable reserves for either metal. Investors therefore need to separate confirmed mineral presence from bankable mining reserves. A geological occurrence attracts exploration. A profitable mine requires drilling, resource modelling, metallurgy, infrastructure, financing and years of permitting.
Somalia has stronger historical evidence around uranium. Academic research drawing on International Atomic Energy Agency and OECD Nuclear Energy Agency material placed Somali uranium resources near 10,200 tonnes, with around 7,600 tonnes described as potentially recoverable at relatively high cost. Those figures rely heavily on older geological work and require modern verification before investment decisions.
Mogadishu has already started seeking outside expertise. Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Dahir Shire Mohamed held discussions with Turkish officials during 2026 talks on geological mapping, mineral exploration, training and investment. Somalia and Türkiye signed a mining cooperation memorandum in 2016, and both sides have discussed reviving the agreement. “Our country has plenty under the ground,” Mohamed said while discussing the mining push.
Uranium exploration also returned to government attention before Mohamud’s latest announcement. Africa Intelligence reported Somali company Almond Energy became a government partner in renewed uranium exploration efforts during 2025 as officials sought foreign capital.
The mineral strategy follows a larger energy campaign offshore. Türkiye sent the deepwater drilling vessel Çağrı Bey to Somalia in April 2026 for drilling at the Curad-1 well. Turkish authorities described the operation as their first deep-sea drilling mission abroad. Somalia’s presidency said the project formed part of efforts to develop natural resources, attract investment and create employment.
For Somalia, minerals and petroleum offer a possible new revenue base after decades of dependence on livestock, remittances, trade, aid and external support. Resource wealth also brings serious risks. Poor contracts, opaque licensing, weak tax administration and political competition over revenues have damaged resource-rich states across Africa.
Somalia still needs stronger mining institutions before large projects move from speeches into production. The International Institute for Sustainable Development reported in 2025 Somalia still relies on mining legislation dating from 1984. A modern mining bill drafted in 2023 still awaited enactment when the organisation completed its assessment. The report also described the mining sector as small and dominated by artisanal activity.
Oil governance faces similar institutional pressure. The International Monetary Fund worked with Somali authorities in 2026 on petroleum taxation and identified a need for clearer fiscal terms, stronger coordination between the petroleum regulator and tax administration, plus refinements around state participation and revenue calculations.
These governance questions matter as much as geology. If you invest in Somali mining, legal clarity determines whether exploration rights survive political changes. Communities need clear land rules, environmental safeguards and transparent compensation. Federal and regional authorities need workable revenue-sharing arrangements. Citizens need public disclosure of contracts, taxes and state participation.
Somalia also faces high infrastructure costs. Mines require roads, power, water, ports, laboratories and secure transport corridors. Lithium or cobalt beneath the ground creates little national value without infrastructure linking deposits to processing and export markets. Uranium brings additional security, environmental and international regulatory requirements.
The strongest economic outcome would involve more than shipping raw ore abroad. Somalia has an opportunity to negotiate local employment, technical training, geological knowledge transfer and domestic processing where economics support such investment. African mineral producers have increasingly questioned a model built around exporting unprocessed resources while importing higher-value products.
Mogadishu should also avoid rushing into contracts because global demand looks strong. Competition among foreign investors gives Somalia bargaining room. Transparent tenders, independent geological data and clear fiscal rules would strengthen the state’s position while reducing disputes later.
Mohamud has framed natural resources as part of a transition toward domestic production and exports. Success will depend on proof beneath the headline. Investors will want verified resource estimates. Banks will want feasibility studies. Communities will want benefits and protection. Parliament and oversight bodies will need transparent agreements.
The discovery story therefore has two chapters. Somalia first needs to establish what lies underground through credible modern exploration. The second challenge involves turning any commercially viable deposits into public revenue, jobs and durable infrastructure without repeating resource failures seen elsewhere.
Somalia has spent decades fighting for security and functioning state institutions. Uranium, lithium, cobalt and offshore hydrocarbons now place economic opportunity beside the security challenge.
Mineral wealth alone does not create prosperity. Strong institutions, transparent contracts and disciplined investment decide whether resources enrich a country or only a narrow group around extraction.
Somalia has announced the minerals. The harder work starts with proving their scale and building rules strong enough to protect the value.
