Angola’s First Niobium Mine to Launch in Huila with $150M Investment by Niobonga
The Chinese company Niobonga has secured a concession to mine niobium in the village of Bonga, within the Quilengues municipality of Huila province, Angola.
The company has invested $150 million in the project, which is expected to produce 8,000 tons of ferroniobium and 150,000 tons of sulfuric acid per year.
Exploration is slated to begin later this year, marking the first niobium mining project in Africa and positioning Angola as a pioneer in the continent’s mineral industry, according to reports by Angop.
The project is advancing steadily. The resettlement and compensation process for more than 400 families living in the area is nearing completion.
To date, these families have received two million kwanzas each as compensation, with the process conducted in coordination and consensus with local communities.
Municipal administrator Adriano Alberto Pedro confirmed that equipment and technical infrastructure are already installed at Bonga, and qualified labor is in place. Initial testing of the ore has shown promising results, ensuring production could begin before the year’s end. Beyond niobium, the area is believed to have significant deposits of phosphate and iron.
Pedro emphasized that the project will create substantial economic benefits, generating new state revenue, creating hundreds of jobs, and stimulating related sectors such as services, commerce, and transportation.
“The Quilengues municipality is set to become a major economic hub, not just for Huila province but for Angola as a whole,” Pedro said, highlighting the project’s potential to transform southern Angola’s development landscape.
The mining concession granted to Niobonga covers approximately 400 square kilometers in the Bonga and Chivila mountains for an initial period of 22 years, with the possibility of renewal for up to 40 years of continuous exploration.
