The member states of the Alliance of Sahel States—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—have jointly declared their intent to accelerate the domestic processing of their vast natural resources as part of a broader push to cement regional economic sovereignty.
Speaking Monday at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University in Ouagadougou, ministers responsible for mining, energy, and hydrocarbons from all three nations emphasized that transitioning from raw material extraction to local industrial processing is critical to capturing greater value from the sub-region’s rich deposits of gold, uranium, lithium, oil, gas, and iron.
The public conference marked the opening of the inaugural Alliance of Sahel States Energy, Mining and Hydrocarbons Week, held concurrently with the eighth edition of the West African Mining Activities Week. Malian Mining Minister Amadou Keita stressed that resource possession alone is insufficient without local processing capabilities, a position echoed by Nigerien Petroleum Minister Hamadou Tini, who framed natural resources as vital levers for regional integration and national development.
Burkinabe Energy and Mining Minister Yacouba Zabré Gouba reinforced the coalition’s shared vision, identifying domestic industrial transformation as a non-negotiable cornerstone of the Confederation’s long-term sovereignty and economic self-reliance.
HO/te/Sf/lb/abj/APA