Burkina Faso opens first gold refinery in major push for local processing

By KPD News Online | September 30, 2026

Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first national gold refinery in the capital, Ouagadougou, as the military-led government moves to process more of the country’s mineral wealth domestically rather than exporting gold in a less-processed form.

Captain Ibrahim Traoré inaugurated the Raffinerie Nationale d’Or du Burkina Faso (RAFFINOR-BF) on September 28. The facility is intended to refine, analyse, certify and securely store gold within Burkina Faso.

Ibrahim Traoré inaugurates Burkina Faso’s first national gold refinery

$19 million investment

The refinery was built at a cost of more than 11 billion CFA francs, roughly $19 million, with financing involving the Burkinabè state through the National Precious Substances Company (SONASP) and private-sector investors.

The first phase has a theoretical refining capacity of 164 tonnes of gold per year. Authorities say a second phase could raise the capacity to 515 tonnes annually. The five-hectare facility includes a foundry, gold-analysis laboratory, secure storage area, jewellery unit and administrative facilities.

New gold refinery aims to retain more mining value inside Burkina Faso

Government wants more value retained locally

Traoré said the government wants Burkina Faso to move beyond simply extracting minerals and exporting them. According to the country’s government information service, he said the objective is to refine metals locally and develop the entire value chain inside the country.

The government also says domestic processing could increase the value retained from gold production, strengthen oversight of the sector and develop technical skills within Burkina Faso.

Gold is particularly important to the country’s economy. Burkina Faso produced about 94 tonnes of gold in 2025, according to figures cited by the Associated Press. The refinery’s initial capacity therefore exceeds the country’s reported previous-year production, leaving room for future output growth and potentially other sources of gold.

New refinery brings gold refining and certification closer to home

Part of a wider regional shift

Burkina Faso’s move comes amid a broader push across West Africa to increase domestic control over mineral resources.

Countries including Ghana, Guinea, Mali and Ivory Coast have also taken steps toward greater local processing, government participation or restrictions on the export of unprocessed minerals.

For Burkina Faso, the refinery is also being presented by the authorities as part of a wider effort to strengthen economic self-reliance. The country has been led by a military government since Traoré came to power following a 2022 coup. The government has sought to reduce dependence on traditional Western partners while asserting greater control over natural resources.

The refinery’s success will ultimately depend on how effectively it is integrated with industrial and artisanal mining, how much gold is processed through the facility and whether the additional value generated translates into increased public revenue, employment and investment inside Burkina Faso.