Digging Deeper: African Mines Take Center Stage in Ouagadougou
West African Mining Activities Week (SAMAO) 2024: A Platform for Critical Minerals Development Strategies
The West African Mining Activities Week (SAMAO) is scheduled to take place from September 26 to 28, 2024, at the Ouaga 2000 conference room. As a prelude to this major event in the mining and quarrying sector in Africa and globally, the organizing committee outlined the main themes of this 16th edition during a press briefing on September 17, 2024.
“The mining sector has a prominent place in our country’s economy. Indeed, socio-economic data show a resilient activity sector with satisfactory indicators, placing Burkina Faso on the African stage as a mining country,” said Doulaye Sanou, secretary general of the ministry in charge of mines and quarries, also president of the national organizing committee of the 16th edition of SAMAO.
Long considered an agricultural country, Burkina Faso is today positioned as a country with strong mining potential. In order to promote this mining sector, which is quite essential for the economic development of the country, the Ministry responsible for Mines, Quarries and Energy of Burkina Faso thought it useful to start the first edition of the Week of African Mining Activities the West (SAMAO).
After the success of the last 15 editions, the SAMAO organizing committee is working hard for a 16th edition. Announced with fanfare, this edition will revolve around the theme, “Critical minerals: What development strategies for African countries?“
Through this theme, the organizing committee intends to oversee the mining sector so that it is more profitable for the economy. “If the presence of minerals in Africa in general, and in Burkina Faso in particular, can be seen as an opportunity, their exploitation must be supported by proactive policies on behalf of those in power in order to create more added value and local economic production benefits,” said Doulaye Sanou.
This international event will bring together more than two thousand (2000) participants in the capital of Burkinabe including experts, investors, researchers, and visitors from various backgrounds.
As activities for this 16th edition, the organizing committee mentioned B2B meetings, exhibitions, and visits to a mining site and a tourism site or quarry.
By Frédéric KAMBOU
Burkina 24