Closure of the Workshop on Small-Scale Mining in Côte d'Ivoire: Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly Announces the Construction of a Gold Refining Plant

At the closing ceremony of the workshop held under the theme “What is the Contribution of Small-Scale Mining to the Development of the Mining Sector in Côte d'Ivoire?”, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Abidjan, the Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, announced the construction of a gold refining plant.

“By the end of the year, we will launch a project to create a gold refining company. It is a project with strong economic potential that will strengthen the national gold exchange and attract more resources, as downstream controls upstream,” he explained. He added that with this gold refining plant, the objective is to achieve certification, which stems from the quality of social and environmental standards.

Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly also welcomed the conclusions of the workshop and assured that they “will not be left in the drawers.” For the Minister in charge of Mines, it is precisely because there is an urgent need to act “that we held this workshop.”

This strategic gathering, which brought together for three days experts, operators, sectoral ministries, and representatives of artisanal mining, marks a key milestone in the formalization and enhancement of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM).

Participants engaged in discussions around five key areas:

• The contribution of ASM to the national economy
• Sustainable development in mining areas
• The effectiveness of application review procedures
• Support policies for a resilient ASM sector
• The role of ASM in social balance and rural development

These discussions made it possible to establish a clear diagnosis of the sector's challenges: relatively informal and persistent artisanal mining, low profitability, environmental pressure, and social conflicts.

To address these issues, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly announced the establishment of a monitoring committee tasked with implementing a comprehensive roadmap based on the workshop's recommendations.

On behalf of the artisanal miners, Eugène Malan, President of Eburnie Gold Field, praised the organization of the workshop and reaffirmed the commitment of field actors to support the upcoming reforms.