On behalf of the artisanal miners, Eugène Malan, President of Eburnie Gold Field, welcomed the workshop and acknowledged its true value.
During the closing of the workshop themed “What is the Contribution of Small-Scale Mining to the Development of the Mining Sector in Côte d’Ivoire?” held 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 purchasing office and help capture more resources, because it is downstream that drives upstream,” he explained. He stated that with this gold refinery, the goal is to achieve certification, which reflects adherence to quality social and environmental standards.
Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly also welcomed the workshop’s outcomes and assured that they “will not remain in the drawers.” According to the minister, the urgency to act is the very reason the workshop was held.
This strategic meeting, which brought together over three days experts, industry operators, sectoral ministries, and representatives of artisanal miners, marks a significant step in the formalization and development of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM).
Participants focused on five key areas: the contribution of ASM to the national economy, sustainable development in mining zones, the efficiency of application processing procedures, policy frameworks for a resilient ASM sector, and the role of ASM in social balance and rural development.
The discussions allowed for an open diagnosis of the sector’s challenges: a largely informal and persistent artisanal mining sector, low profitability, environmental pressure, and social conflicts.
To address these, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly announced the creation of a monitoring committee responsible for implementing a more comprehensive roadmap, based on the workshop’s recommendations.
On behalf of the artisanal miners, Eugène Malan, president of Eburnie Gold Field, praised the holding of the workshop and reaffirmed the commitment of field actors to support the upcoming reforms.
