Burkina Faso, the third-largest gold producer in West Africa after Ghana and Mali, is ramping up efforts to boost gold production by focusing on artisanal and small-scale miners. 

The Burkinabe government announced the Samissi gold residue project following a Council of Ministers meeting on May 29. The project is expected to generate 75,479,040 CFA francs (approximately $124,641) for the state and contribute 11,612,160 CFA francs (around $19,175) to the Local Mining Development Fund. According to the announcement, Birka Hamidou Et Frères Sarl secured a semi-mechanized mining permit to produce 32,256 kg of gold at the project over four years. 

Le Président du Faso, Chef de l'Etat, le Capitaine Ibrahim TRAORE préside, ce mercredi 29 mai 2024, l'hebdomadaire Conseil des ministres.

Détails à venir ??? https://t.co/afAYeI3oTh#Com_Gouv_BF #SIGBurkina #BurkinaFaso pic.twitter.com/bx3n0cW9Fy

— SIG Burkina Faso (@sigbf) May 29, 2024

Gold production at Samissi will come from “processing mine tailings and dumps from the gold panning rejects at the Yako site”, maximizing resource utilization and economic benefits.

In recent months, the Burkinabe government took various steps to boost the country’s gold output. These steps include setting up ore processing centers to support artisanal miners and plans for additional processing facilities nationwide. 

Burkina Faso is also on track to inaugurate its first gold refinery by late 2024.

Mining contributes 14% to Burkina Faso's GDP, and accounts for 80% of its exports.