Dr Elizabeth Agyekum
Awards
About me
Climate change has become an urgent and unavoidable obligation for all humanity, supported by SDG 7. As the world gradually moves towards green energy, rare metals, particularly lithium (Li), have become essential to the development of renewable energy. It is a key component in the production of Li-ion batteries for electronic devices and electric vehicles. Compared to producing energy through the combustion of fossil fuels, Li-ion batteries have become a promising clean technology. However, global demand for rare metals (Li, Cs, Ta, Be) is expected to increase significantly over the coming years as many countries adopt directives to encourage the use of electric vehicles, and there will be a need to find more resources to meet this demand. One of the world’s main sources of Li is currently granitic pegmatites. Increased exploration surveys have recently identified several rare metal granitic pegmatites in countries across the African continent, including Ghana. However, the petrogenesis and geological controls on rare metal mineralisation in pegmatites are scarcely discussed in the literature. Therefore, given the significance of granitic pegmatites as a source of lithium, it is essential to understand how lithium pegmatites are formed and how useful their unique characteristics are to their exploration.
Dr Elizabeth Agyekum is a geological engineer and lecturer at the University of Mines and Technology, Ghana, with a PhD in geological engineering (2025) and a BSc in the same field from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Her research focuses on mineral exploration, geochemistry, and economic geology, with particular emphasis on rare metal (lithium) mineralisation in southern Ghana. Her doctoral work examined the evolution and prospectivity of pegmatite-hosted rare-element deposits in the Biriwa–Ewoyaa enclave.
She has held teaching and research appointments at UMaT, including Lecturer (on contract), Postgraduate Research Assistant, and Demonstrator, and has served as a Visiting PhD Student at the University of Toulouse III, Paul Sabatier, in France, where she conducted advanced mineralogical and geochemical analyses using SEM and laser-based instrumentation.
Dr Agyekum has published in reputable journals, including Resource Geology and the Ghana Mining Journal, and has presented her research at international conferences such as the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) Conference. She is a recipient of competitive research grants, including the SEG Student Research Grant, a joint grant from the French Embassy and the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, and the Chamber of Mines postgraduate grant, and has earned international recognition in mineralogy and petrography competitions.
She is actively involved in professional and academic leadership, serving in roles within professional geoscience bodies, and is committed to advancing sustainable mineral exploration to support the global green energy transition.
Other Memberships/Affiliations
Degrees: