Burkina Faso Opens First Gold Refinery to Keep More Value From Mineral Exports

Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first gold refinery, giving one of West Africa’s major gold producers the capacity to refine part of its output at home instead of sending it abroad for processing.

President Ibrahim Traoré opened RAFFINOR-BF in Ouagadougou on Monday, September 28.

In a video report published by Reuters, Traoré said the government wants to process mineral resources locally and gain control of the full value chain.

The refinery is designed to handle 164 tonnes of gold annually in its first phase, according to Burkina Faso’s government. The government projects that capacity could eventually reach 515 tonnes a year.

It put the investment at more than 11 billion CFA francs, funded by the state, including through the National Precious Metals Company, SONASP and domestic private partners.

The opening creates an opportunity for Burkina Faso to retain more of the work involved in turning mined gold into a finished product.

Refining locally could also support related services, including testing, secure storage and the sale of refined bullion.

Those potential gains will depend on how much gold the plant actually processes and whether producers choose to use it.

The initial capacity is greater than the country’s reported 94 tonnes of gold production in 2025. That comparison describes the plant’s rated capacity, not its expected output or a guarantee that all locally mined gold will pass through it.

Traoré’s ambition extends beyond gold. His government says it wants minerals refined within Burkina Faso and more of the resulting economic activity to remain in the country.

RAFFINOR-BF is a step towards that goal; the commercial test will be the volume it attracts and the value the domestic industry can retain.