Burkina Faso opens first gold refinery in push for domestic processing

Burkina Faso has launched its first gold refinery as part of a government effort to process more of the country’s mineral resources domestically. Military leader Ibrahim Traore inaugurated the RAFFINOR-BF refinery in Ouagadougou on Monday. He said the project represented a step towards economic independence and a reduction in reliance on primary exports.

According to a government Information Service statement, Traore said Burkina Faso wanted to refine its metals locally and retain the value created along the mineral supply chain. The country produced more than 94 tonnes of gold in 2025, according to the World Gold Council, making it Africa’s third-leading gold producer after Ghana and Mali. However, the source material says the government has struggled to regulate informal mining because of weak enforcement, insecurity and illicit trafficking.

The refinery cost more than $19 million and has an annual capacity of 164 tonnes of gold. Mines Minister Yacouba Gouba said the state financed the project through the National Precious Substances Company, alongside private-sector partners. Gouba said the government planned to raise capacity to 515 tonnes in the coming years.

He said the facility was built to international standards and would turn doré gold into fine-gold bars with 99.9 per cent purity. The government hopes the refinery will help make Burkina Faso a regional gold-processing hub and has suggested that the facility could handle gold from other parts of the region. Since taking power, Traore’s administration has sought greater state involvement in mining.

It increased the state’s ownership stake in mining projects from 10 to 15 per cent last year and created a national gold reserve. The government has also linked some illegally traded gold to the financing of armed Islamist groups operating in the country.