Artisanal Gold Formalisation Advances in West Africa

By Bradley Riviera

Governments and development partners across West Africa are stepping up efforts to formalise artisanal and small-scale gold mining to reduce environmental harm, improve health outcomes and capture greater value for local communities.

Contemporary formalisation programmes combine licensing simplification with technical assistance on mercury-free processing methods, site rehabilitation planning and cooperative formation. Where registration pathways are clear and enforcement predictable, miners access legitimate markets and receive better prices, while local administrations secure enhanced fiscal returns and improved oversight of mining impacts.

Technical assistance has focused on introducing affordable mercury-free processing alternatives and improving recovery rates through basic mechanisation and cleaner beneficiation methods. These shifts raise returns for miners while reducing toxic exposures to workers and nearby communities. Formalisation linked to access to finance for equipment upgrades, capacity building in cooperative management, and systematic market linkages helps shrink informal supply chains. Successful district-level pilots show that when authorities provide transparent registration channels and buyers commit to purchasing from licensed groups, informal trade diminishes and local value retention improves.

The programme challenges include ensuring sustained aftercare for registered miners, avoiding overbearing regulatory costs that push operators back into the informal economy and building reliable traceability that reassures international buyers. When backed by predictable enforcement, continued technical support and market access, formalisation can transform artisanal gold sectors into safer, more productive and more fiscally beneficial parts of national mining landscapes.