Côte d’Ivoire’s mines minister, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, visited Botswana this week to examine how the country has translated mineral wealth into long-term economic growth, according to a government statement.
The three-day mission, which began Feb. 16 in Gaborone, reflects Abidjan’s push to capture greater economic returns from its growing extractive sector by drawing lessons from Botswana’s diamond-led development model.
During the visit, Sangafowa-Coulibaly met Botswana’s Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Joy Kenewendo.
He praised Botswana’s use of diamond revenues to finance infrastructure, social services and economic diversification, describing it as a development reference for resource-rich countries.
Botswana ranks among the world’s leading diamond producers and has built a reputation for relatively stable management of mining income.
Ivorian authorities view this experience as relevant as the country expands exploration and production across minerals, oil and energy resources.
During the visit, the minister toured the Jwaneng diamond mine on Feb. 17.
The operation, opened in 1982 and widely regarded as one of the richest diamond mines globally, reflects Botswana’s long-standing technical expertise and international mining partnerships, according to site officials.
Sangafowa-Coulibaly said the goal extends beyond resource discovery toward building domestic economic activity linked to extraction.
According to the statement, Ivorian officials aim to strengthen infrastructure, education and institutional capacity through better management of mineral revenues.
Officials from both countries indicated interest in stronger bilateral cooperation across mining and energy. Botswana has promoted international sharing of technical expertise developed over several decades.
“We’re deepening cooperation between Botswana and Côte d’Ivoire in mining and energy, sharing lessons on resource governance, strong institutions and balanced partnerships,” Kenewendo posted on X.
The visit comes ahead of the International Exhibition of Extractive and Energy Resources, scheduled in Abidjan in November 2026, where Botswana has been named guest country, signaling continued policy dialogue on resource governance.
