AMECO AFRICA
Facility will allow exploration samples to be tested at home rather than sent abroa
Addis Ababa, 06 Nov 2026. Amhara region has begun work on Ethiopia’s first mineral laboratory, a 2.4bn birr project that will allow exploration samples to be analysed inside the country instead of being sent overseas.
The regional government said the facility was part of efforts to modernise its mining sector, ending the burden of exporting samples for testing.Haile Abebe, head of the Amhara Region Mineral Resources Bureau, said domestic mineral production had replaced imports worth 131.1bn birr in the 2018 Ethiopian budget year alone.
The region delivered 357kg of gold to the National Bank of Ethiopia in that period. It is now aiming to supply 2,000kg in the 2019 budget year, having collected 431kg so far this quarter. The bureau said it wanted Amhara to become the country’s leading gold producer.
Officials are also prioritising strategic minerals, including gold, lithium, copper and iron, which are expected to play a significant role in Ethiopia’s foreign currency earnings.
Amhara has deposits of granite, zircon, opal, gold, sapphire and emerald, used in jewellery, construction, industry and power generation. The bureau said considerable work was still needed to study, identify and stockpile the resources efficiently so that local communities could benefit.
