Burkina Faso inaugurates its first national gold refinery

Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first national gold refinery, the Raffinerie nationale d’or, aiming to boost local value addition and economic independence.

Key points

• The facility, known as Raffinor-BF, was inaugurated in Ouagadougou by junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré.
• The project was financed with over 11 billion CFA francs by the state and the national private sector.
• The refinery has an initial annual production capacity of 164 tonnes, with projections to reach 515 tonnes.
• Authorities expect the project to create 100 direct jobs and 5,000 indirect jobs.

Why it matters

The opening of the national refinery represents a key step in Burkina Faso's strategy to retain more value from its primary mineral resource rather than exporting raw gold.