On September 28 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso inaugurated Raffinor-BF, its first national gold refinery, with the aim of processing more precious metal within the country rather than exporting it in raw form.
According to the Burkinabe government, the installation is part of a strategy aimed at increasing local added value and strengthening national control over a resource that holds a central place in the country’s exports.
A capacity set to increase
The refinery cost more than 11 billion FCFA. It has an initial announced capacity of 164 tonnes of gold per year, with a target to increase production to 515 tonnes, according to authorities and data reported at the inauguration.
The site must ensure the refining of locally produced gold and offer related services, particularly in processing and traceability. Burkina Faso produced approximately 94 tonnes of gold in 2025, according to figures cited by Associated Press.
The commissioning of Raffinor-BF takes place in a regional context where several states are seeking to capture a larger share of the value created by their mineral resources, notably through local processing and the revision of exploitation frameworks.
The Burkinabe government presents this infrastructure as one of the tools of its policy of economic sovereignty and local transformation of natural resources.
