GHANA
• Ghana is Africa’s second largest gold producer after South Africa.

• Ghana is the third largest African producer of aluminum metal and manganese ore, and a significant producer of bauxite and diamond.

• Mining accounts for 5% of the country’s GDP and minerals make up 37% of total exports, of which gold contributes over 90% of the total mineral exports. Thus, the main focus of Ghana’s mining and minerals development industry remains focused on gold. The country currently has 13 large –scale mining companies.

GUINEA

• The mining sector accounts for over 70% of exports and contributes around 25% of the country’s income.

• The country possesses almost half of the world’s bauxite reserves and is the second-largest bauxite producer.

• The mining sector in Guinea contributes around 25% of the country’s income, with bauxite production by far the most important contributor, making Guinea a significant bauxite producer. The past few years have been characterized by an ongoing program to modernize and re-structure the aluminium industry to make it efficient and profitable, and to increase production.. Guinea has estimated diamond reserves of approximately 20 Mct. Diamonds are Guinea’s second largest export, after bauxite. The Aredor Diamond mine, located in southeastern Guinea, near Macenta, has produced some of the world’s most valuable diamonds, totaling more than 1.3 million carats at a value of US$377 million

• Although Guinea has significant commodity reserves, the country has been poorly explored and future potential exists for gold, base metals, iron ore and diamonds.

MAURITANIA
• Mauritania’s iron ore reserves are estimated at 155 Mt of hematite ore ranging from 60% to 68% iron and 531 Mt of magnetite ore ranging from 36% to 40% iron. Iron is by far the most widespread metal in the country. The three main areas containing iron-ore deposits are Tiris, Sfariat and Tasiast.

• One mining permit is currently held for copper at the Guelb Moghrein Mine, the only worked copper-gold deposit in Mauritania. A source estimated to contain 24 Mt grading 1.9% copper (oxide and sulphide) and 1.4 g/t gold has been outlined.

• In January 2002, 34 exploration licences for diamonds were held concentrated in Northern Mauritania. Ashton have discovered what is anticipated to be the country’s first diamondiferous kimberlite on its Maqteir licence. Processing of selected drill samples have recovered 78 diamonds and diamond fragments weighing a total of 2.86cts.

MALI
• Although Mali is a landlocked country with poor infrastructure, the government’s reformed mineral code has attracted numerous foreign investors. Mali is now Africa’ third largest gold producer. Gold production forms the cornerstone of the Mali mining sector, representing 95% of the country’s mineral production. Apart from gold, Mali has potential bauxite, iron ore, base metals and phosphate deposits. An estimated 1,1 billion tons of bauxite is located in three areas between Kenieba and Bamako. Mali has limited iron ore resources, the best being at Balé, containing 146 Mt grading at 50% Fe. A limited manganese resource exists at Asongo, containing 10 Mt.

NIGER
• Niger is the world’s 4th largest uranium producer, after Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan, providing 7.5% of world mining output from Africa’s highest-grade
Uranium ores.

• Mineral Resources: Uranium, coal, gold, gypsum, iron ore, tin, salt, petroleum.

• Although uranium has historically been Niger’s primary mineral product
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NIGER (continued)
accounting for the bulk of it’s export earnings, its gold mining industry is set to grow dramatically based on potential gold mining projects being
developed and evaluated by Canadian, Australian and South African mining and exploration companies. Niger’s coloured gemstone potential is to be assessed by Canadian Consolidated Pacific Bay Resources.

NIGERIA
• Nigeria’s mineral development has been highly focused on it’s oil industry. Currently
mining contributes just 1% to Nigeria’s GDP. Nigeria has significant coal and iron ore reserves as well several gold, uranium, tantalum and REE showings throughout the country. Uranium is found in 6 of the 36 states in Nigeria. As a result, the mining industry has been neglected and has only been rekindled by the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development, intent in increasing the role of this sector of Nigeria’s economy. The Ministry, in conjunction with assistance from South Africa is developing a geochemical database of Nigeria that is intended to facilitate exploration efforts in the country.
In 2004 the Federal Government of Nigeria and the World Bank announced that they will spend a sum of N11billion (US$120million) to fund the solid minerals sector through the establishment of a project for sustainable management of mineral resources.

• Coal resources have been estimated at 2.5 billion tons, lignite at 250 million tons, and limestone at 600 million tons that are spread over fifteen states. The parastatal Nigerian Coal Corporation is responsible for most of the existing coalmines. The Nigerian coal mining industry is slowly being privatised as part of increasing production back to levels of 900,000 tons per annum, last achieved in 1959.

BURKINA FASO
• Mineral Resources: Manganese, dolomite, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, gold, phosphates, lead, zinc, silver.

• Burkina is attempting to improve the economy by developing its mineral resources and it’s deposits of manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphate and gold have attracted the interest of international mining firms. Burkina Faso currently exports gold.

SENEGAL
• The Senegal – Mali Structural Corridor (SMSC) hosts the bulk of the country’s gold, iron and diamond occurrences. Randgold Resources has been conducting an exploration programme on the SMSC at its Kounemba, Kanoumering and Tomboronkoto permits which total 1,200 km sq for the past four years. Ranggold has defined several targets, including 5 significant gold intersections with multiple gold-in-soil anomalies.

COTE D’IVOIRE
• Cote d’Ivoire has considerable mineral potential, with important occurrences of gold, diamonds, iron, nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, and bauxite having been identified. Like much of West Africa, however it is gold that has been at the forefront of exploration since the introduction of a new favourable mining investment code in 1995.

LIBERIA
• Liberia has been described as one of the last areas of virtually unexplored rocks in the world. Eastern Liberia is made up rocks of Birimian age with significant potential for gold. Western Liberia is made up of rocks of Archean age that contain diamond, gold, iron ore, nickel, manganese, palladium, platinum, and uranium.

• Iron ore mining and beneficiation was at one stage Liberia’s economic mainstay, contributing as much as 64% total exports which provided nearly 25% of the country’s GDP. However, the civil war that broke out in 1989 halted production from nearly all of the iron ore facilities. With the reconstruction of the country rehabilitation is taking place.

TOGO
Togo does not have a well developed minerals industry with mine production currently limited to phosphates, marble and limestone.

GHANA
• Hydroelectricity is the primary source of Ghana’s power. Ghana’s current hydroelectric capacity of 1.072 GW is located at Akosombo (912MW) and Kpong (160MW). An ambitious plan by the Ghanaian government to transform the country into a middle-income nation has targeted the power sector as a key area for reform. Structural and regulatory reforms are hoped to encourage private investment in the development of the power industry.

• Ghana plans to reduce it’s reliance on hydroelectric power by increasing and expanding thermal generating capacity. Current thermal facilities are located at Tema & Takoradi. Additional capacity is planned at Tano & Tema. The Volta River Authority and CNPC have constructed transmission lines and substations at Essiama and Elubo in the Western region to feed the power generated at Tano into the national grid. The VRA is currently in the process of installing 110 MW at the Strategic Reserve Plant (SRP), near the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) main substation in Tema. U.S.-based CMS Energy announced that it is planning a $100 million expansion of its thermal power plant at Takoradi. The upgrade would convert the plant from burning crude oil to natural gas which it would receive from Nigeria through the WAGP.

GUINEA
• Guinea is the source of several major West African rivers (including the Gambia and Niger Rivers) and has a hydroelectric potential (technically feasible) estimated at 19,400 Gigawatthours per year (Gwh/yr). Only about 1% of Guinea’s technically feasible hydroelectric potential has so far been developed. Guinea intends to use its hydroelectric potentials to replace the supply of electricity by thermal power stations which is expensive.

• In October 2000, the 14 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Guinea is a member, signed an agreement to launch a project to boost power supply in the region of West Africa.

MAURITANIA
• The Mauritanian Electricity Company / Société Mauritanienne de l’électricité (SOMELEC) is solely responsible for the supplying electrical power. Electrical power generation has been heavily dependent on thermal power plants, but increased investment has resulted in new technological knowledge and project initiatives being brought into the country. The company has also planned to bring electricity to urban and rural areas that have not been connected in it’s national grid. SOMELEC’S specific objective is to extend electricity supply networks to many new regions in urban, semi-urban or rural areas, and to increase the effectiveness of various production units including those at Nouakchott and Atar. Mauritania has also been receiving electrical power from Mali through recent hydropower developments, due to a power sharing agreement between the two countries.

MALI
• The hydroelectric potential of the country, based on the Senegal and Niger Rivers, is estimated at 1 000 MW and is able to produce 5 000 GWh during a one year average.
On this potential, only 50 MW (approximately 220 GWh) are exploited up till now, owing to the Sélingué and Sotuba Dams on the Niger River. The organisation responsible for the electricity supply industry in Mali is Energie du Mali (EDM). Along with EDM, electricity is also provided by the parastatal utility, Electricite du Mali. EDM’s strategy, regarding the energy sector, has three broad aims, and those are: to develop sources of renewable energy, to develop hydroelectric power potential and to liberalize the sector.

• South Africa’s Eskom Enterprise won a US$ 85 Million contract in mid-2001 to operate and maintain the newly constructed Manantali hydro station for 15 years. The
200 MW power station supplies power to Mali, Senegal and Mauritania.

NIGER
• The organisation responsible for
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NIGER (continued)
electricity production and supply in Niger is the Société Nigerienned’Electricité, known as NIGELEC. All installed capacity is currently thermally fired but Niger has around 230 MW of economic hydro power potential that it could develop.
• Most of Niger’s electrical power is imported from Nigeria, whereby NIGELEC purchases around 90% of it’s energy needs from the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA). The country also receives hydroelectric power from Nigeria and solar installations supply some rural areas. Niger has been seeking international and multilateral donors to aid the construction of the Kandadji hydroelectric project. The facility is planned to have a generating capacity of 165MW. The Kandadji project has been underway since 2004 and construction is planned to be completed by 2012.

NIGERIA
• Nigeria has 5900 MW of installed generating capacity, however, the country is only able to generate 1600 MW because most facilities have been poorly maintained. The country has proven gas reserves and around 8 000 MW of hydro development has been planned. Nigeria has plans to increase access to electricity throughout the country to 85% by 2010.This would call for 16 new power plants, approximately 15 000 km of transmission lines, as well as distribution facilities. The Nigerian government is in the processing of privatising existing facilities.

BURKINA FASO
• Société Nationale d’Electricité du Burkina Faso, known as Sonabel, is the sole electricity supply utility. Sonabel’s facilities are almost exclusively thermal. Growing demands for power have prompted Burkina Faso to seek to begin interconnecting its grid with those of Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to import additional electricity requirements.

SENEGAL
• Electrical power generation, distribution and transmission in Senegal are provided by the parastatal Société Senegalaise d’_lectricité (Senelec). The total power that was installed by Senelec is 403 MW and is distributed in an inter-connected network through power stations possessing the capacity of 138 MW, a gas turbine with a 92 MW-capacity
and diesel production totalling 137 MW of electrical power. The power network that has not been inter-connected produces 19.8 MW of power.

COTE D’IVOIRE
• Demand for electricity in Cote d’Ivoire is expected to grow at about 10% per annum, with additional capacity required in the near future to match growth and replace obsolete
or inefficient equipment.

• The use of gas-fired electricity plants has turned Cote d’Ivoire into a regional exporter of electricity. Some of the client-countries connected to the Ivoirian power grid include Benin, Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana.

• Electricity generation, transmission and distribution in the Ivory Coast is the responsibility of the Compagnie Ivorienne d’Electricité, known as CIE.

• Cote d’Ivoire’s distribution system comprises around 15 000km of line, operating at 33 and 15 Kv.

LIBERIA
• The organisation responsible for the electricity supply industry in Liberia is the Liberia Electricity Corporation, known as LEC. LEC has indicated that the industry needs US$100 million of investment both to increase installed capacity and to extend and upgrade transmission and distribution. Liberia has an economic hydro potential of around 1000 MW.

TOGO
Togo Electricité, a privately owned company, has taken over responsibility of generation and supply of electricity in Togo from the state company Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo (CEET). The company has an operating concession of twenty years. Togo Electricité has announced plans to invest 27.5 billion CFA over five years in the power sector. The plans include the rehabilitation and reinforcement of the distribution network, reduction of production costs, decrease of losses and optimization of network quality.