Boutique Mining Firm Commissions Processing Plant

Jun 30 , 2024


[ssba-buttons]

Akobo Minerals, a Norway-based gold exploration and mining company, has completed the construction of its processing plant at its boutique mine in South Western Ethiopia.

The company holds an exploration license covering 182 km2 and a 16 km2 mining license in the Segele Shama gold district in the Dima Wereda 720 km southwest of the capital in Gambella Regional State.

Akobo has explored the gold project since 2010 despite completing drilling holes on 59 sites last year. It expects advancements towards low-grade gold processing by next month and forecasts 20 million dollars in revenue in the early months of full production.

The Extraction Industries Transparency Initiative estimates Ethiopia's gold deposits to be around 200tn despite the slow development of industrial gold mining projects.

The National Bank of Ethiopia adjusted its gold procurement strategy two weeks ago to incentivize artisanal miners to resurrect gold exports, which have been dwindling over the past few years. It introduced a tiered pricing system, offering premiums of 60pc on supplies ranging from 50gm to three kilograms and up to 72pc for quantities exceeding 30Kg.


Radar

Dangote, EIH Break Ground on Mega Fertilizer Plant in Somali Region

Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), the state's sovereign investment arm, has struck a deal with Dangote Group to build one of the world's largest urea fertiliser complexes in Gode, Somali Regional State. The 2.5 billion dollars project will see EIH hold a 40pc stake while Dangote keeps 60pc. With agriculture employing over 70pc of Ethiopians, the government hopes the factory will cut fertiliser costs, create jobs, and boost crop yields while positioning the country as a regional hub. Design...


Radar

CBE Capital Joins Nib Bank for Market Expansion

Nib International Bank has partnered with CBE Capital, the investment arm of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (CBE), to expand investment banking services and shore up its finances. The deal covers advisory services, seeking to strengthen Nib's balance sheet, attracting capital, and positioning the bank in a modernising financial sector. The partnership follows a difficult year for Nib, where net profit dropped 36pc to 957.9 million Br and deposits shrank, despite paid-up capital climbing to ...


Radar

Credit Cap Nears Lift-Off

The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) is preparing to lift its long-standing credit cap by September, unlocking 1.3 trillion Br in bank lending. The move, flagged by board member and State Minister of Finance Eyob Tekalegn (PhD), follows years of complaints from businesses that borrowing limits choked large-scale projects. Eyob told a local radio station the reform reflects rising investor appetite and improved economic conditions, though he admitted "financing has been the biggest bottleneck for...