The Ministry of Mines, Energy, and Quarries of Burkina Faso held its first ordinary session of the Ministerial Sector Management Board (CASEM) on March 6, 2026, in Ouagadougou to evaluate the sector’s performance for the 2025 fiscal year.
The meeting, themed around the coexistence of mining operations and local communities, revealed a highly successful year with a physical implementation rate of 90.22% and a financial implementation rate of 92.99%. A central highlight of the report was the mining sector’s massive contribution to the state budget, which totaled over 740 billion CFA francs as of December 31, 2025.
Industrial gold production reached approximately 62.16 tonnes, while artisanal and semi-mechanized mining added another 42.9 tonnes of raw gold. Beyond extraction, the ministry reported significant regulatory and developmental progress, including the formalization of 16 artisanal sites, the dismantling of six illegal gold-trading offices, and the identification of 24 major clay and kaolin deposits. Additionally, approximately 85 billion CFA francs were successfully transferred to the Mining Development Fund to support local growth.
The energy sector also saw substantial advancements with the completion of solar power plants in Dori and Gaoua. Construction is ongoing for several other major facilities, including the 50 MW Komsilga 4 thermal plant and large-scale solar projects in Koudougou and Matourkou. The ministry expanded the national grid to 131 new localities and added over 160,000 new subscribers, while also prioritizing humanitarian aid by installing solar pumping systems for internally displaced persons and over 25,000 streetlights in urban areas.
Minister Yacouba Zabré Gouba emphasized that while the results are satisfactory, the primary challenge moving forward is ensuring that mining remains sustainable, safe, and peaceful for local populations. This goal is particularly critical as Burkina Faso navigates a complex landscape of international geostrategic tensions and ongoing national security concerns.
HO/te/Sf/fss/abj/APA