The 6th edition of the West Africa Mining Week (WAMW) 2024 opened its doors on Thursday, with discussions aimed at providing answers on the strategy for research and development of critical minerals.According to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Yacouba Zabré Gouba, who delivered the speech of President Ibrahim Traoré, the Burkinabe mining sector which is paying a heavy price for the security situation, remains one of the important places for economic and social development."The holding of this 6th edition of SAMAO is proof of the resilience of the Burkinabe people who, faced with the security situation, have never given up," he said.He spoke on Thursday in Ouagadougou, at the opening of the 6th edition of SAMAO 2024 under the theme: "Critical minerals: what development strategies for African countries?"Yacouba Zabré Gouba, specified that the mining sector is driven by gold which remains the country's primary mining product.Because according to him, in 2023 the total production of gold am ounted to 56,857 tonnes for a contribution in terms of direct obligatory State revenues, of approximately 529 billion of our francs, or approximately 13% of the GDP, 19.2% of public revenues and 79.2% for total export revenues over the period 2022-2023.Despite this predominance of gold in the mining sector, he said, special attention must be paid to critical minerals given their strategic nature.'These critical minerals are essential for building infrastructure, solar panels, wind turbines, electric cars, touch screens, data storage, connecting systems,' Gouba said.The Minister in charge of Mines explained that reforms have been carried out in Burkina Faso, including, among others, the adoption of the new mining code, the development of the new mineral plan and the launch of the process for the definition of critical minerals for our country."SAMAO is a privileged framework for the promotion and sharing of experience, good practices in mining, integration of the sector into the national economy, manag ement and environmental protection," he continued.He also invited participants from Chad, Niger, Ivory Coast and Congo Brazzaville to frank discussions, with a view to revitalizing the mining sector to better impact local economies.Various activities are on the program for this 6th edition of SAMAO. These include, among others, B to B meetings, communications on the central theme, and stand exhibitions.Source: Burkina Information Agency
Menu