Burkina Faso hits record 94 tonnes of gold output as mining reforms gain traction

Burkina Faso’s mining sector delivered a historic performance in 2025, with national gold production hitting a record 94 tonnes, according to official figures presented by the Minister of Energy, Mines, and Quarries, Yacouba Zabré Gouba.

• Burkina Faso produced a record 94 tonnes of gold in 2025, marking a sharp rise from the previous year.
• Mining reforms powered the surge, with stronger oversight of industrial mines and increased artisanal output.
• Energy access also expanded, with thousands of new households connected to the national grid.
• The government plans deeper mining and energy reforms in 2026 to boost local participation and industrialisation.

The output, which includes industrial production, artisanal mining, and state seizures, increased by more than 30 tonnes compared with 2024, marking one of the strongest annual performances in the country’s extractive history.

Minister Gouba disclosed the figures while presenting his ministry’s 2025 performance report to Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo.

He reported an 89.66 percent achievement rate under the ministry’s performance contract, attributing the gains largely to mining-sector reforms anchored in economic sovereignty.

“The mining sector performed very well in 2025,” Gouba said, noting that about 42 tonnes of gold came from artisanal mining activities.

He attributed the surge to the operationalisation of the state-owned Burkina Faso Mining Participation Company, SOPAMIB, as well as tighter oversight of the country’s 15 industrial mines.

Government efforts to clamp down on illegal gold trading also yielded results, with authorities recovering about 10 kilograms of gold from illicit supply chains during the year.

Beyond mining, the ministry reported notable progress in energy access and urban infrastructure. Nearly 160,000 households were newly connected to the national electricity grid in 2025, while 131 rural localities gained access to power.

The government also deployed more than 165 kilometres of transmission lines and roughly 500 kilometres of low-voltage lines to strengthen electricity distribution nationwide.

Urban and peri-urban security was another focus area, with over 25,000 streetlights installed across cities and surrounding communities.

Looking ahead, the Burkinabè government plans to deepen reforms in 2026, including restructuring the Bureau of Mines and Geology of Burkina Faso and reorganising artisanal mining into formal cooperatives.

Authorities are also targeting at least 10 semi-mechanised mining projects, all led entirely by local private investors.

“In 2026, we will work to firmly entrench energy and mining sovereignty,” Gouba said.