Message from the RMB CEO
Chief Executive Officer,
Rwanda Mines, Petroleum & Gas Board
On behalf of the Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 9th Rwanda Mining Week, taking place from 9 to 11 December 2026 at the Kigali Convention Centre under the theme: “Powering the Future: Mechanisation, Scale and Sustainable Growth in Mining.”
This year’s theme reflects an important moment in Rwanda’s mining journey. As global demand for critical minerals accelerates, our sector must continue evolving through innovation, mechanisation, and responsible investment to improve productivity, enhance safety, and create greater value.
Rwanda is steadily strengthening its position as a reliable and sustainable supplier of critical minerals that support emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, electric mobility, aerospace, and green energy solutions. Sustaining this growth requires strong partnerships, regional collaboration, modern mining practices, and a shared commitment to operational excellence.
Rwanda Mining Week 2026 offers a unique platform to explore these opportunities. Over the next three days, you will engage with policymakers, investors, mining companies, technology providers, and development partners through insightful discussions, exhibitions, networking sessions, and site visits that showcase the dynamism of Rwanda’s mining sector.
Whether you are looking to invest, innovate, collaborate, or learn, I encourage you to make the most of this gathering and contribute to shaping a mining industry that is competitive, sustainable, and future-ready.
We are honoured to host you in Kigali and look forward to meaningful conversations, valuable partnerships, and new opportunities that will help propel our sector forward.
Welcome to Kigali. Welcome to Rwanda Mining Week 2026.
About Rwanda’s mining sector
Rwanda hosts a large number of historical mineral occurrences and operational mines with major commodities being cassiterite (grade of 76% of Sn), wolframite ( grade from 35 to 70% of tungsten), columbite-tantalite (grade of Tantalum ranging between 25% and 55%), native gold (99.999% of Au), and other pegmatite-related rare minerals such as rare earth elements (REEs), beryl, lithium-bearing minerals, phosphate minerals, gemstones etc.
In addition to this, the country is also endowed with industrial minerals such as amphibolite, granite, quartzite, volcanic rocks, clay, sand, and gravel. Other natural resources such as peat (used for electricity generation or processed as an alternative for firewood) are also in plenty.
Mining operations in Rwanda began in the early 1930s, and since then, the sector has undergone significant reforms, becoming one of the country’s top export revenue earners. By 2024, the mining sector generated $1.75 billion in export earnings, up from $373.4 million in 2017.
Rwanda produces between 8,000 and 9,000 tons of 3T minerals every year and the amount of money depends on the market pricing dynamics.
Rwanda is one of the top global producers of tantalum, producing more than 22% of the world’s tantalum used in electronics manufacturing as of 2024