Lithium ni ibuye ry’agaciro ryavumbuwe mu 1817 na Johan August Arfvedson. Ryifashishwa mu gukora ibintu bitandukanye birimo bateri za telefone, iza mudasobwa, iza cameras n’ibindi bikoresho by’ikoranabuhanga.

Mbere ya 2020, abari bazi agaciro k’iri buye bari mbarwa cyane ko n’igiciro cyaryo cyari hasi. Mu Ukuboza k’uwo mwaka nibura ikiro kimwe cya lithium cyaguraga $9 (9000Frw), kivuye kuri $20,5 cyaguraga muri Mutarama 2018.

Gutakaza agaciro kw’iri buye byatewe ahanini n’ingano nini yari yashyizwe ku isoko mu 2020 ndetse bihurirana n’icyorezo cya COVID-19.

Umwaka wa 2021 wabaye nk’uw’umugisha ku bantu bari mu bucuruzi bwa Lithium kuko igiciro cyayo cyazamutse ku kigero kirenga 600%, muri Mata uwo mwaka kigera kuri $78 000 (arenga miliyoni 78Frw) kuri toni.

Gutumbagira kw’agaciro ka Lithium byatewe ahanini n’imbaraga zashyizwe mu ikorwa ry’imodoka z’amashanyarazi zikenera bateri nini zishobora kumarana umuriro igihe kinini.

Mu 2021 inganda zitandukanye zagurishije imodoka zikoresha amashanyarazi miliyoni 6,6, zikubye kabiri ugereranyije n’izari zagurishijwe mu 2020.

Abahanga mu bucuruzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro bagaragaza ko Lithium izakomeza kuba imari ishyushye kuko umubare w’imodoka z’amashanyarazi zikorwa ugenda urushaho kwiyongera ndetse bikaba biteganyijwe ko bizagera mu 2030 hamaze kugurishwa izirenga miliyoni 26.

Kugeza ubu mu bihugu bigurisha lithium nyinshi ku Isi harimo Chile, u Bushinwa, u Buholandi, Koreya, u Budage n’u Bubiligi.

Mu 2020 nibwo u Rwanda rwatangaje ko na rwo mu bushakashatsi bw’ibanze rwari rumaze gukora rwasanze narwo rufite aya mabuye y’agaciro, aho ku ikubitiro yavuzwe mu Karere ka Ngororero.

Mu kiganiro IGIHE yagiranye n’Umuyobozi Mukuru Wungirije w’Ikigo Gishinzwe Mine, Peteroli na Gaz (RMB), Dr. Ivan Twagirashema yavuze ko ubu mu Rwanda Lithium itakiri umwihariko wa Ngororero ko ahubwo isigaye iboneka henshi mu gihugu.

Ati “Lithium yo mu Ngororero twasanze iri mu gihugu hose, ngira ngo mwabonye ko isa n’amasarabwayi yari asanzwe ku buryo hari n’abantu bagiye bayubakisha batazi ko ari Lithium, ariko impamvu yabyo ni uko mu myaka ibiri ishize igiciro cyayo cyari hasi.”

Yakomeje avuga ko agaciro k’iri buye ry’agaciro kagenda karushaho gutumbagira.

Ati “Lithium iyunguruye wamaze kuyitegura toni yari ku 5000$, mu myaka ibiri gusa kubera ko imodoka zikoresha amashanyarazi ibintu byose biri muri aya mabuye bijya mu bikoresha amashanyarazi, igiciro cyavuye ku 5000$ kuri ku bihumbi 85$ kuri toni.”

“Uko gusimbuka rero kw’igiciro kubera ko ikenewe ni ko kwatumye abantu batangira kuyimenya no gushaka kuyikurikirana. Uyu munsi toni y’ariya mabuye atayunguruye iragenda kuri 2000$ cyangwa 3000$ harimo Lithium iri ku kigero cya 8%.”

U Rwanda ruyihanze amaso

Kugeza ubu ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro ni rwo rwego rwa kabiri rwinjiriza igihugu amafaranga menshi, nyuma y’ubukerarugendo. Mu rwego rwo gukomeza muri uwo mujyo, Dr. Ivan Twagirashema yavuze ko u Rwanda rwatangiye ibiganiro bigamije gutangira gutunganya lithium ku buryo ijya ku isoko yongerewe agaciro.

Ati “Hari imishinga ibiri iri kuganirwaho ikiri mu nyigo ariko ni ibintu bishobora kurangira vuba kuko inganda zikora puderi ya Lithium, ntabwo ari izikeneye ubushakashatsi ahandi zirahari.”

Yakomeje avuga ko ashingiye ku ho ibiganiro bigeze, hari icyizere ko umwaka utaha hazubakwa uruganda ruyungurura lithium.

Ati “Ibyo bigo bibiri biri kubikoraho kugira ngo umwaka utaha byibuze dutangire kubaka uruganda ruyungurura Lithium ku buryo mu mezi ari imbere natwe dushobora gutangira kohereza hanze ya puderi ya Lithium iyunguruye yishyurwe amafaranga menshi inazamure umusoro imbere mu gihugu.”

Dr. Ivan Twagirashema yavuze ko ubushakashatsi bw’ibanze bamaze gukora bwaberetse ko Lithium iri mu gihugu hose, kandi hari n’aho wayisanga bitagusabye gucukura.

Ati “Urumva ubushakashatsi buracyakomeza kuko abantu bamaze kuyimenya kubera icyo giciro cyayo cyazamutse, iri ahantu urebye hose, urayisanga Ngororero, mu Majyepfo mu Burasirazuba kandi ugasanga abantu bose bayifite ntabwo ari uko bacukuye muri metero ijana.”

“Kubera ko aho uyisanga ari naho haba gasegereti na Coltan na Wolfram, imyaka myinshi twamaze ducukura Coltan, Lithium ititabwaho yazamukanaga n’ibindi bakayinaga mu bisigazwa. Usanga mu bisigazwa byinshi abantu bagiye babika yuzuyemo ahantu hatandukanye ku buryo usanga ahantu hose uyihasanga kuko ititabwagaho cyane ko icyo gihe itari ifite igiciro gifatika; uyu munsi urebye ahacukurwa hose ibyo bindi nayo turayihasanga.”

Raporo yo mu 2020 y’Ikigo cy’Igihugu cy’Ibarurishamibare yerekana ko mu myaka itanu ishize, ni ukuvuga kuva mu 2015 kugeza mu 2019, u Rwanda rwinjije asaga miliyari 1,4 z’amadolari ya Amerika avuye mu mabuye y’agaciro yoherejwe mu mahanga.

Nko mu bihembwe bine by’umwaka wa 2015, amabuye y’agaciro yagurishijwe mu mahanga yinjije miliyoni 149$. Icyo gihe hacurujwe gasegereti, coltan, wolfram n’ubundi bwoko bw’amabuye (budasobanurwa ubwo ari bwo muri iyi raporo).

Umwaka wakurikiyeho wa 2016, hinjiye miliyoni zisaga 166, 5$ aho gasegereti yinjije miliyoni 34,8$; coltan yinjiza miliyoni 39,7$; wolfram yinjiza miliyoni 11,9$ naho ubundi bwoko bw’amabuye bwinjiza miliyoni 80$.

Mu 2017 umusaruro wariyongereye ndetse usa n’uwikubye inshuro zirenze ebyiri kuko igihugu cyinjije miliyoni zisaga 373$ yakusanyijwe mu bihembwe bine by’uwo mwaka.