The Director General of the Ivorian Mining Development Company (SODEMI), Seydou Koné, has committed his institution to supporting the Group of Artisanal Miners of Côte d’Ivoire (GRAMCI) in transitioning from “subsistence mining” to a “performance-driven industry.”

This announcement was made during the second edition of the Mine & Deal workshop, held on April 30, 2026, in Yamoussoukro.

Recalling that SODEMI, as a state instrument, is tasked with transforming the country’s subsoil resources into wealth for Ivorians, Seydou Koné highlighted the role of the company’s Accredited Laboratory, which delivers analyses with “surgical-grade precision.”

Through SODEMI, artisanal miners will no longer need to dig blindly. The state-owned company provides a real “X-ray vision” of the subsoil, enabling better-targeted investments.

“By using our laboratory, geophysics, mapping, geoscience, and geology services, you secure your mining titles and enhance the value of your assets,” the SODEMI Director General stated.

He further emphasized that from drilling to resource and reserve evaluation, SODEMI’s experts are available to help artisanal miners maximize output and turn uncertainty into reliable data.

“It is often said that time is money. In mining, accurate data is gold,” he added.

This second edition of the Mine & Deal workshop provided SODEMI with an opportunity to offer stakeholders in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) access to cutting-edge mining technologies aimed at boosting the sector. “Because to be profitable, you need precision tools,” Seydou Koné concluded.

The collaboration between SODEMI and GRAMCI aligns with the vision of the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, which advocates for responsible, inclusive mining that generates local value.