Côte d’Ivoire is stepping up efforts to position itself among Africa’s leading gold producers, driven by a combination of government planning, new industrial mines, and reforms targeting the vast artisanal mining sector. The government recently approved its Integrated Policy on Mineral Resources and Energy (PIRME), a 15-year blueprint with a budget of 38 trillion CFA francs (about $67 billion), of which nearly a third is allocated to boosting mining activities. This major investment underscores the country’s growing reliance on minerals to diversify an economy historically dominated by cocoa.
Gold production in Côte d’Ivoire has nearly tripled over the past decade, rising from around 20 tonnes in 2014 to approximately 58 tonnes in 2023. This growth has helped the country secure a position among the continent’s top producers, although it still trails major gold-producing nations such as Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso. Authorities believe the country is well-placed to advance further, thanks to a wave of new mining projects and improved exploration results. Several industrial operations, such as the Lafigué, Séguéla and Abujar mines, have recently come online or expanded, adding significant new capacity. Geological studies indicate that Côte d’Ivoire holds up to 600 tonnes of untapped gold resources, with promising discoveries at deposits like Koné and Tanda expected to support long-term production. According to Mines Minister Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, the country’s regulatory environment and improving infrastructure allow new deposits to move from exploration to production in under five years, making the sector increasingly attractive to international investors.
While officially recorded production comes primarily from industrial mines, a large share of the country’s gold is extracted informally by artisanal and small-scale miners. Estimates suggest that 30 to 40 tonnes of gold produced annually do not enter official statistics, limiting government revenue and complicating oversight. To address this, the government is partnering with development institutions, including the World Bank and the World Gold Council, to formalize artisanal mining, improve safety standards, and increase transparency across the value chain.
Despite its rapid growth, Côte d’Ivoire remains well behind regional giant Ghana, which produced nearly 150 tonnes of gold last year. However, the government believes that sustained investment, formalization of the artisanal sector, and the development of new large-scale projects could push national output significantly higher over the next decade. As Côte d’Ivoire continues to build momentum, gold is emerging as a central pillar of its broader strategy to diversify the economy and strengthen long-term resilience, signaling the country’s determination to climb the ranks of Africa’s top gold producers.
