The minister, who recalled that in less than ten years, Ivorian gold production has increased fivefold, presented the particularity of the Ivorian model which lies 100% in its approach entirely focused on the private sector
Within the next five years, Côte d’Ivoire will position itself as Africa’s leading gold producer, announced the Ivorian Minister of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Sciences Po Paris.
He was speaking during a panel organized by the Africa-France Foundation as part of the second edition of Africa Day.
The panel’s theme was: “African Mining at the Heart of the Energy Transition.”
“Thirty-five percent of the Birimian rock of West Africa—commonly known as greenstone, and known for its gold content—is found in Côte d’Ivoire,” stated Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly before an audience of students and business leaders.
The minister, who recalled that in less than ten years Ivorian gold production has increased fivefold, presented the distinctiveness of the Ivorian model, which is 100% based on a private sector–driven approach.
“The State does not invest. Under the Ivorian Mining Code, the government grants exploration and then exploitation permits while retaining a free equity stake of 10% to 15% in the projects. The remaining financing is raised by private operators,” he explained.
Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly also emphasized the favorable conditions that attract investors to the country, including political and economic stability for over fifteen years, high-quality infrastructure, a skilled workforce with “world-class geologists,” and guaranteed access to electricity and road networks.
He highlighted an attractive business environment and a tax incentive system with a special regime for investments in the mining sector, while underlining the administrative efficiency of Côte d’Ivoire:
“From initial discovery to exploitation, it takes on average less than five years to start mining—compared to ten to twenty years in developed countries.”
According to the minister, this entire policy aligns with President Alassane Ouattara’s vision, who believes that “the time has come to leverage extractive resources” to meet the country’s growing development needs.
On the sidelines of the panel—co-moderated by Lawrence Dechambenoit (Head of Global Strategy and Government, Policy, and Civil Society Relations at Rio Tinto) and Valery Levkov (Global Director for Energy, Metals & Mining, and Sustainable Infrastructure at the IFC)—
Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly held several meetings, notably with the CEO of the Axian Group and with Ivorian students from Sciences Po, HEC, École Polytechnique, and l’X.
