On July 10, 2026, during an inter-ministerial forum dedicated to critical minerals in Abidjan, the Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, unveiled the Integrated Policy for Mineral Resources and Energy (PIRME). For the period 2026-2040, this roadmap, aimed at establishing a performing extractive industry, will require an investment of 38,000 billion CFA francs (around 63 billion USD).
According to the minister, this transformation must be part of a dynamic of enhanced regional cooperation, essential for building interconnected value chains on a continental scale. This meeting, organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB), brought together around thirty African ministers, development partners, and leading investors. The objective: to transform Africa’s mineral wealth into a lever for industrialization and sustainable prosperity.
At the heart of the discussions, experts and decision-makers explored mechanisms for valorizing minerals essential for global energy transition. In this regard, the Ivorian minister highlighted the national potential: “Côte d’Ivoire has a considerable mining potential. Around 35% of its territory is based on Birimian formations, rich in gold, while three-quarters of the national territory are considered potentially rich in critical minerals.”
To conclude the debates, the President of the AfDB Group, Sidi Ould Tah, invited African nations to definitively break free from the historical model based on the export of raw materials. Pointing out the current lack of economic integration, he declared that these resources must become the foundation of true local added value.
In this dynamic, Côte d’Ivoire has called on investors and international partners to fully engage in these continental ambitions, in order to transform critical minerals into a lever for industrial development.
