Burkina Faso Inaugurates First National Gold Refinery to Keep More Value at Home

Burkina Faso has inaugurated RAFFINOR-BF, its first national gold refinery, as the government seeks to process more of the country’s mineral wealth locally. The refinery was opened in Ouagadougou on September 28, 2026. President Ibrahim Traoré said Burkina Faso wants to move beyond exporting raw minerals and instead manage more of the gold value chain within the country. The facility has an initial refining capacity of 164 tonnes of gold yearly, with plans to expand to 515 tonnes in a second phase. It includes a laboratory, secure storage, refining equipment, a foundry and a jewellery unit. The project reportedly cost more than 11 billion CFA francs and produced its first gold bar during the inauguration. Authorities say local refining could improve control over the weighing, testing, certification and storage of Burkina Faso’s gold.

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