Kigali, 5 December 2022 - The Government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB) together with partners in mining sector on Monday celebrated the International Mining Day to highlight the socio-economic contribution as well as untapped opportunities presented by the rapidly growing mining sector in Rwanda.

Themed “Towards a Modern and Sustainable Mining Sector”, the celebration coincided with the launch of the 5th Edition of Mining week comprising various activities including a four-day exhibition of mineral products, knowledge exchange on safety standards, best practices and a site visit.   

In his remarks, Prime Minister Dr. Edouard Ngirente reiterated Rwanda’s commitment to increase and translate the mining production into large exports in line with the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) according to which the share of minerals in total exports will reach 49.6% by 2024 from 32.9% in 2017.

“Rwanda’s mining potential is yet to be fully exploited. The government of Rwanda is committed to working with all stakeholders to develop the mining sector to sustainably deliver good results” Prime Minister Dr. Ngirente said.  

Rwanda is emerging as one of Africa’s mining destinations with the extractive industry being the country’s second-largest export revenue earner after the tourism and hospitality industry. The country is one of the world's largest producers of tin, tantalum, and tungsten (3Ts) and also exports gold and gemstones. About 140 mining companies are registered while 32 companies hold industrial quarry licenses.

While transitioning from artisanal to professional, Rwanda’s mining sector presents plenty of investment opportunities mostly in exploration, extraction, and value addition. The country presents mineralization potential for gemstones including amethyst, sapphire, beryl, tourmaline, spinel, augelite, purpurite, and spurrite. Two refineries were set up for gold and tantalum respectively in addition to a tin smelter. The sector's annual revenues reached $585M in September 2022 from $516 M in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 1.5 Billion in 2024.

Learn more about the mining week and Rwanda’s mining sector here.