Türkiye eyes gold mining in Niger
Türkiye is set to commence operations in one of Niger’s gold mines in 2025 as part of its broader strategy to expand gold resource exploration abroad. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revealed the plans during the Istanbul Energy Forum, a one-day event emphasizing global energy challenges under the theme “Common Future, Common Goals.”
Objective
He emphasized that achieving prosperity, energy security, and global peace requires a balanced approach that values humanity and the environment. Erdogan also highlighted Türkiye’s ambition to become a major energy hub with a robust infrastructure that includes seven natural gas pipelines, two floating LNG terminals, and 15 entry points. He stated that Türkiye aims to be one of Europe’s top three renewable energy leaders and one of the top nine globally by 2025.
Additionally, he reaffirmed Türkiye’s target to reach a nuclear energy capacity of 20,000 megawatts by 2050, with the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant expected to meet 10% of the country’s electricity needs and reduce carbon emissions by 35 million tons.
On the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Erdogan noted its impact on Europe’s energy security and commended Türkiye’s balanced diplomacy, which has allowed the country to navigate the geopolitical crisis effectively.
Presently, there are 69 artisanal gold mines across the country with 24 artisanal sites where gold is mined and processed using cyanide. Only three of these sites could be considered as having some form of “government control or supervision” whether by the presence of technical support, security guards or tax agents. It is estimated that two tonnes of gold are produced every year by Niger’s artisanal gold mines.
