Gold in Niger: Turkey prepares its first extraction after six years of exploration

Turkey’s Energy Minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, announced on November 5, 2026, that the first gold from the Nigerien site is expected to be extracted “in the coming days.” The project is being carried out by Eti Maden and MTA International (MTAIC), which has explored sites in southwestern Niger since 2020, including Koulbaga-1, Koulbaga-2 and Dares Salam-2. MTAIC will install mobile crushing and screening equipment designed by Turkish company MEKA. The production would mark Turkey’s first gold extraction abroad, in a country where the Samira Hill industrial mine was nationalized in 2025.