Mali aims to strengthen national expertise in the mining and petroleum sectors. On 30 September 2026, the government adopted the legislative texts establishing, organizing, and governing a School of Mines and Petroleum, designed to train specialized human resources to support the development of these strategic activities for the national economy.
The new structure will primarily be responsible for providing initial and continuing education in the mining and petroleum fields. According to Malian authorities, this initiative addresses the insufficiency of specialized training programs in certain disciplines related to the extraction and valorization of subsoil resources.
Bamako seeks to increase the availability of local expertise as the country possesses significant mining potential and intends to better control the various links in the extractive value chain. This strategic direction comes in a context where gold occupies a central position in the Malian economy.
Gold mining companies reportedly contributed 1,57 billion dollars to the state in 2025, equivalent to approximately 890 billion FCFA, according to data from the Ministry of Mines. Furthermore, the mining sector is estimated to represent around 6,3% of the country's PIB.
Strengthening training thus appears to be a lever to enable Mali to have more professionals capable of engaging in the exploration, exploitation, and management of its resources. The creation of the school is accompanied by another decision made during the same Council of Ministers, with the adoption of texts instituting the Agency for Research and Development of Mineral Resources.
This structure is intended to contribute to strengthening knowledge regarding the country's geological, mining, petroleum, and gas resources, particularly through research, production, and the dissemination of data. Malian authorities are thus linking the development of expertise with that of natural resource research.
While the texts relating to the School of Mines and Petroleum have now been adopted, no official details have yet been communicated regarding its location, the start date for classes, the programs that will be offered, or the number of students it could accommodate. Fanuelle YAO Published on 05/10/26 11:48 The Editorial Staff