Burkina/Minerals of Development: Actors discuss for positive change in the field

The Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Simon Pierre Boussim, chaired Tuesday in Ouagadougou, the training and experience-sharing workshop on the potential and development issues in the minerals sector of development.

‘Dear promoters, this workshop is a framework for exchanges between you stakeholders involved in the field of development minerals to bring about positive changes in this area,’ declared the Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Simon Pierre Boussim.

He invited the participants to frank, constructive and straightforward discussions.

Minister Boussim spoke Tuesday in Ouagadougou, at the opening ceremony of the workshop on training and sharing of experiences on the potential and development issues of the development minerals sector.

This workshop is under the theme: ‘training and sharing of experiences on the potential and development issues of the development minerals sector’.

‘My expectations for this workshop are that at the end, the actors will be well equipped on the opportuniti
es of formalization, good practices and the impact of the sub-sector in the local or even national economy,’ he indicated. .

According to the UNDP Resident Representative in Burkina Faso, Alfredo Teixeira, small-scale artisanal mining generates more than 8,000 direct jobs, or 8 times the number of jobs generated by formal industrial mining.

‘This sector deserves greater attention and the necessary support for the transformation of the enormous potential that Burkina Faso and the African continent abounds into effective added value for sustainable development,’ he added.

Indeed, he said, development minerals comprise a diverse group of minerals that are mined, processed, processed and used primarily domestically in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture. .

Thus, Mr. Teixeira clarified that the value chains of development minerals directly affect 9 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For him, the transformation and revitalization of the sector could contribu
te to the development and resilience of local economies through opportunities for wealth creation, decent jobs and diversification of livelihoods, by 2030.

The Representative of the European Union Ambassador to Burkina Faso, Marc Duponcel, expressed the satisfaction of the European Union in supporting the project.

‘It aims to support the development of the careers industry in Burkina Faso by helping small businesses to formalize, work more efficiently, increase their income and also promote governance, the resolution of conflicts between different actors and ultimately also to develop sectors for the use of materials in a sustainable way,’ argued Mr. Duponcel.

The Representative of the European Union Ambassador to Burkina Faso indicated that the presence of delegations from several countries who will each share their experiences, their successes and their skills, is a good thing.

This workshop is held on the sidelines of the West African Mining Activities Week (SAMAO) and brings together more than thirty
participants representing various groups of ASM stakeholders including entrepreneurs, architects, miners craftsmen as well as regulators and training schools.

It aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge between countries with a view to strengthen south-south cooperation in favor of the target countries of the ACP-EU program in favor of minerals for development, in particular Burkina Faso, Congo, Tanzania, Cameroon and Mauritania

The ACP-EU Development Minerals Program is a capacity building program that aims to improve the profile and management of development minerals.

The program is an initiative of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACP), financed by the European Union and the United Nations Development Program which is also the project manager.

Phase I of the program was implemented between 2015-2019. Inspired by the first phase, the second phase runs from November 2019 to November 2023 and covers ten (10) target countries including Burkina Faso.

Phase II of the program is
implemented mainly in the target countries where capacity building has been underway since 2015 through activities such as training, small grants, production of geological maps and databases, among others.

The workshop was attended by the Minister in charge of Mines of Chad, Abdel Karim Mahamad, delegations from Cameroon, Congo, Tanzania, Guinea and Mauritania as well as the Director General of Geology of Chad.

Former ministers from Burkina Faso were also present at the ceremony.

Source: Burkina Information Agency