Burkina Faso has opened its first-ever gold refinery as the West African country moves to strengthen its control over the production and commercialisation of its gold resources.
The refinery, inaugurated on Monday in the capital, Ouagadougou, is part of the government’s efforts to process more of the country’s mineral resources locally rather than exporting raw materials.
Burkina Faso is Africa’s third-largest gold producer, producing more than 94 tonnes of gold in 2025, according to the World Gold Council.
The country has struggled to control its informal gold-mining sector, which has been affected by smuggling and insecurity linked to jihadist groups.
The National Gold Refinery of Burkina Faso (RAFFINOR-BF) has an initial annual refining capacity of 164 tonnes of gold, with plans to eventually increase the capacity to as much as 515 tonnes.
The refinery, which has been under construction since 2023, reportedly cost 11 billion CFA francs (about $19 million) and was financed by the government in partnership with the domestic private sector.
Burkina Faso suspended gold exports from informal mining operations in 2024 as part of efforts to better regulate the sector.
The government has also nationalised several gold mines under military leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who took power in a 2022 coup.
At the refinery’s inauguration, Traoré said the country wanted to move beyond simply extracting and exporting raw materials by developing the entire value chain domestically.
The government says greater control over gold production and processing will help reduce illicit exports and strengthen the country’s economy.
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