The Rwandan Prime Minister Ngirente officially opened the sixth edition of Rwanda Mining Week 2023 at Kigali Convention Centre.
Held under the theme of “Embracing Technology, Investments and Responsible Mining”, the opening ceremony for Rwanda Mining Week brought together various extractive industry leaders, experts, government officials, academia members, and stakeholders in the mining sector to discuss critical issues, share insights, and explore opportunities within the mining industry.
The event was also attended by the chairmen of chambers of extractive industries from the Great Lakes Region i.e. Burundi, Kenya and Uganda.
This event is annually curated by Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board in partnership with Rwanda Mining Association and the School of Mining and Geology at the College of Science and Technology, University of Rwanda.
The Chairman of Rwanda Mining Association, Malick KALIMA, expressed miners gratitude to the Government of Rwanda for the unwavering and ongoing support that the Government accords mining industry as it transitions to professionalization and large-scale mining operations.
He said that mining today boasts of a big share of contribution to Rwanda’s economy through export revenues and job creation as the sector currently employs more than 72,000 people.
In her remarks, Yamina Karitiany, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board expressed thanks to those who have joined Rwanda to celebrate the remarkable progress and transformative journey that sector has so far registered.
“A keen focus on the Mining Value Chain, with investment in mineral exploration, extraction, processing and refining is essential in order to enhance efficiency, productivity, improved safety and environmental standards in our mining operations” said Yamina.
She emphasized the unequivocal need for investing the untapped potential, which Rwanda’s mining industry currently presents. This is coupled with a prerequisite for expediting the overall digitalization of mining related services and operations.
Currently positioned as one of Africa ‘s best ideal mining investment destinations, Rwanda is yet to fully unlock its sector’s potential. Currently, there are three state-of-the- art value addition facilities namely the gold refinery, tin smelter and tantalum refinery. All these efforts are aimed at transforminting the mining industry into a solid economic enabler to the nation and communities.
RMB CEO argued that given the ongoing efforts towards a properly well-regulated and professional mining, the export earnings for the past nine months have soared to $ 852 M. This indicates that this year’s USD 1 Billion projection is within reach.
Mining has for the last four years injected more than 2 Billion Rwf in socio-economic development activities in eight mining-host districts. Some of these activities include construction of murram roads, homes for internally displaced people, water sewage system, health posts, and building progressive terraces just to name but a few.
Yamina reminded the audience that “ as we celebrate the achievements, we must acknowledge that in both regulation and compliance, challenges remain. We must face them so that next year, we can be proud to meet again, counting the successes which will have greatly impacted a larger segment of our communities, our bank accounts and our national treasury.”
A keen focus on the Mining Value Chain, with investment in mineral exploration, extraction, processing and refining is essential in order to enhance efficiency, productivity, improved safety and environmental standards in our mining operations.
In his keynote address, Prime Minister Dr. Ngirente argued that Mining Week has grown into a platform to engage in conversation with actors in the mining sector, to discuss all aspects related to mining-be it challenges, opportunities”.
He recognized the growing contribution of Mining to the national economy through mineral export revenues, job creation as the sector currently employs more than 72,000 people.
He said that ‘Our National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) sets an ambitious target for the mining sector to become a $1.5 billion industry by 2024.”
The Prime Minister argued that the government recognises “the potential in mining industry as the country’s economic backbone, particularly in revenues generation and job creation.” To achieve this, “requires concerted efforts to enhance compliance with industry standards, invest in cutting-edge technologies, and give a priority to human capital development.”
Following three captivating testimonials shared by a female geologist who has successfully navigated the mining sector and two mine owners – Amiel MPENDAHENDE, and Vestine KAMUGWERA, the Prime Minister appreciated the remarkable progress the mining industry has made. He asked them to keep being the force for Rwanda’s economic transformation and to continue to impact their communities.
The opening ceremony featured three insightful panels namely Mining that Builds the Nation and Communities, mineral processing and value addition, trace your minerals literally.
Through their presentation, Rio Tinto showcased their lithium exploration in Rwanda. According to Sand Walker, the Programme Manager, Rwanda – Africa Eurasia RegionRio Tinto Exploration – Development and Technology, Rio Tinto chose to invest in Rwanda because the country is “Geologically Prospective, Attractive Investment Jurisdiction and Operates Safely” (End)