Guinea is set to inaugurate the largest gold refinery in Africa with the upcoming launch of the Nimba Gold Refinery (NGR), a landmark project designed to reshape the country’s role in the global gold value chain.
The refinery will begin operations with a processing capacity of 250 tons of gold per year, with plans to expand to 500 tons annually. Once fully operational, NGR is expected to position Guinea as a regional hub for gold refining and trading.
At the heart of the project is a clear strategic goal. Guinea wants to refine its gold locally rather than exporting raw ore, thereby capturing more value from its natural resources. By doing so, the country aims to boost national revenues, create skilled jobs, and stimulate industrial growth linked to mining and metallurgy.
Government sources say the refinery will help shift Guinea away from its traditional role as a supplier of unprocessed minerals toward becoming a producer of high-value refined gold for international markets. This transition is expected to strengthen foreign exchange earnings and improve fiscal stability.
Beyond economic gains, the Nimba Gold Refinery is also part of a broader push for greater sovereignty over the mining sector. By developing local refining capacity, Guinea seeks tighter control over production, traceability, and exports, reducing losses from smuggling and informal trade while improving transparency across the industry.
The project is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, ranging from refinery operations and logistics to support services, while also encouraging technology transfer and skills development for Guinean workers.
Officials describe the refinery as a cornerstone of Guinea’s industrialization drive and a signal of its ambition to become a major player in Africa’s precious metals sector, alongside established producers such as Ghana, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
Images released by the Présidence de la République de Guinée show the scale of the development, underscoring the government’s commitment to seeing the project through.
With the Nimba Gold Refinery, Guinea is betting on value addition as the path to long-term wealth creation, stronger institutions, and a more resilient economy. As construction nears completion, expectations are high that the facility will mark a new chapter in the country’s mining history.
