Story perspectives

Traoré Inaugurates $19 Million RAFFINOR-BF Gold Refinery

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 3:02 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

President Ibrahim Traoré inaugurated the RAFFINOR-BF gold refinery in Ouagadougou.
The state-backed plant cost about 11 billion CFA francs (? $19 million) and was financed by Sonasp and private partners.
RAFFINOR-BF initially refines 164 tonnes of gold annually, with plans to expand to 515 tonnes.
The refinery will produce 99.9 % pure gold bars and keep assaying, certification, and storage within Burkina Faso.

History

Historical Context

In 1975, Ghana launched the Ghana Gold Refinery in Accra, enabling the nation to melt and certify its own gold domestically. The state-backed project, funded by the Ghanaian government and Ghana Commercial Bank, initially refined roughly 100 tonnes of gold per year. Similarly, President Ibrahim Traoré today inaugurated the RAFFINOR-BF refinery in Ouagadougou, a $19 million, 164-tonne-capacity plant financed by Sonatrach, Sonasp and private partners. Both initiatives aim to retain mineral value within national borders, boost fiscal revenues, and set precedents for West African resource self-sufficiency.

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Story summary

President Ibrahim Traoré inaugurated the RAFFINOR-BF gold refinery in Ouagadougou.
The state-backed plant cost about 11 billion CFA francs (? $19 million) and was financed by Sonasp and private partners.
RAFFINOR-BF initially refines 164 tonnes of gold annually, with plans to expand to 515 tonnes.
The refinery will produce 99.9 % pure gold bars and keep assaying, certification, and storage within Burkina Faso.

1 / 2