Côte d’Ivoire has inaugurated the Koné gold mine in Kani. The ceremony took place on 12 November 2026. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Téné Birahima Ouattara presided. Government officials, traditional authorities and representatives of mining company Montage Gold attended. Ouattara said the project aligned with President Alassane Ouattara’s strategy to develop the mining sector as a driver of economic growth.
The government expects the mine to create jobs for young people, stimulate local businesses and improve economic opportunities in the Worodougou and Béré regions. The project forms part of broader efforts to strengthen mining’s contribution to Côte d’Ivoire’s economic diversification. The country has become one of Africa’s fastest-growing gold producers. It has done so by attracting foreign miners, improving its investment climate and maintaining relative stability.
From a Nigerian vantage point, the Koné mine is a reminder of what Nigeria has failed to do with its own mineral wealth. Nigeria has gold deposits in Zamfara, Osun, Kebbi and other states. Much of the mining is artisanal and unregulated. Gold leaves the country through informal channels. The government has promised to formalise the sector for years. The results are thin.
The historical echo is the 2016 recession, when Nigeria belatedly realised that solid minerals could diversify revenue. The Ministry of Solid Minerals Development was re-energised. Investment remained low because of insecurity and weak infrastructure. Côte d’Ivoire shows what happens when a government treats mining as a strategic sector, not a side business. The winners are Côte d’Ivoire, Montage Gold and local communities. The losers are Nigeria, which loses another opportunity, and artisanal miners who remain outside formal markets.
Winners: Côte d’Ivoire; Montage Gold; local communities in Worodougou and Béré.
Losers: Nigeria, which misses another opportunity; artisanal miners outside formal markets.
Bottom Line: Côte d’Ivoire is turning gold into growth. Nigeria has the deposits but not the strategy, and the gap is widening.