SIREXE 2026: Abidjan, Africa's mother lode

The countdown has begun. From November 18 to 22, 2026, SIREXE returns to the Parc des Expositions in Abidjan with a clear ambition: to become the benchmark platform for investment, partnerships and innovation in mining, oil and energy in Africa.

Organized by the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, the show is held under the high patronage of President Alassane Ouattara and driven by Minister Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly. This year's theme poses the central question of the moment: what infrastructure is needed to support Africa's economic development on the back of the extractive and energy industries?

The program includes high-level conferences, expert panels, B2B meetings, technology exhibitions and networking, bringing together public decision-makers, industrial players, investors, financial institutions and experts from around the world.

A first edition that set the bar very high

SIREXE is not entering unknown territory. Its first edition, in 2024, brought together 320 exhibitors and 2,200 professionals, with 6 billion euros in contracts signed. That record established the show among the sector's major events on the continent, and it sets the goal for 2026: to do better.

International appeal is already confirmed. France is holding its "French Mining Days" there, with a national pavilion at the heart of the show and an extended mission to Guinea, in partnership with the mining ministries and Chambers of Mines of both countries.

World voices in Abidjan

SIREXE 2026 is making a strong intellectual statement. Daniel Yergin and Philippe Chalmin, two global references in economics, are announced to attend in Abidjan. Yergin is presented as one of the most influential figures in the international energy debate. A recognized specialist in commodity markets, Philippe Chalmin will share his perspective on the cycles that govern the prices of gold, oil and metals.

Their presence reflects a strategic choice: to make SIREXE a space for dialogue and reflection on the sector's major transformations, and not merely a showcase.

A show serving the Ivorian and African economy

SIREXE's weight is measured by that of the sectors it represents. Côte d'Ivoire produced 58 tonnes of gold in 2024 and is establishing itself as a major mining player in West Africa. On the oil side, Eni and PETROCI launched production from phase 2 of the Baleine field, on blocks CI-101 and CI-802, at the end of December 2024.

The 2026 edition also carries a strong message for Ivorian entrepreneurs: the show is explicitly geared toward opening the mining, oil and energy markets to national small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The new Sirexe Invest tool is meant to bring forward projects led by Ivorian companies, ready to be negotiated with the major operators present in Abidjan.

Young people are not forgotten. The SIREXE Hackathon, whose second edition was launched in July, is open to students, developers, engineers, start-ups and SMEs; the six best proposals will be presented in the final on November 21.

The show has even traveled as far as the 2026 World Cup: as a partner of the Elephants, SIREXE displays its logo on the national team's official kit, to promote the country's investment opportunities on one of the world's biggest sporting stages.

A nod to the energy hub: Ivorian ambition takes shape.

SIREXE is also the showcase for a major national project: making Côte d'Ivoire the energy hub of West Africa. The government reaffirmed this in its National Energy Pact, included in the 2026-2030 National Development Plan.

The foundations are solid. The country has reached an electrification rate of 94% and aims for renewables to make up 45% of its energy mix by 2030. It already supplies electricity to several West African countries.

Projects are accelerating. In June, Abidjan signed the financing for the Songon combined-cycle power plant, 372 megawatts for 423 billion FCFA. In April, a $300 million Regional Energy Compact was concluded with the Millennium Challenge Corporation to modernize the grid and support the regional electricity market. The country is also developing a gas master plan with the World Bank, and studies are under way for a bidirectional gas pipeline with Ghana.

The captains of Ivorian energy

Behind the regional hub ambition

 National companies hold the value chain together, and leading executives are at the helm. SIREXE will be their showcase too.

PETROCI, the state's arm in exploration and production, Eni's partner on the Baleine field and set to become direct operator on blocks CI-523 and CI-525, is headed by Fatoumata Sanogo, managing director since July 2023.

SIR, the Société ivoirienne de raffinage (Ivorian refining company), is led by Tiotioho Soro, at its head since 2021. In June 2026, in Lomé, he signed a 254 billion FCFA financing agreement, structured by the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and backed by eight Ivorian banks, to produce low-sulfur diesel compliant with the standards of the Economic Community of West African States (CEDEAO/ECOWAS). The refinery is also behind an 82.65 MW cogeneration project in Port-Bouët.

SMB, the Société multinationale de bitumes (multinational bitumen company), a pillar of infrastructure projects across the subregion, has been headed by Marie-Joséphine Sidibé since 2021.

GESTOCI, guarantor of the security of the country's oil supplies, is headed by Ibrahima Doumbia, supported by deputy managing director Nina Keïta Kamara. In 2026 the company inaugurated a new R14 gasoil tank in Yamoussoukro to strengthen its storage capacity. It aims to extend its network further in order to better serve the hinterland countries.

CI-Energies, responsible for planning and developing the electricity sector, has had a new managing director since July 2026: Amidou Traoré, who succeeds Noumory Silué.

CIE, the Compagnie ivoirienne d'électricité (Ivorian electricity company), has been headed since July 2025 by Jean-Christian Turkson, an electromechanical engineer who has spent his entire career in the sector and who succeeded Ahmadou Bakayoko, now managing director of the Eranove group.

At the administrative level, Bienvenu Essé, director general of hydrocarbons, carries the vision of a Côte d'Ivoire that is the energy and logistics hub of French-speaking West Africa.

The women running Ivorian energy

It is one of the sector's proud achievements: Côte d'Ivoire has chosen to entrust the helm of several of its flagship companies to women. It is a policy worth applauding, and one that stands as an example on a continent where the top of the oil industry remains largely male.

Fatoumata Sanogo became the first woman to officially head PETROCI. In April 2026, she was honored with an Excellence Trophy at the "Personnalités marquantes et Champions nationaux 2025" ceremony.

Marie-Joséphine Sidibé, one of the few Ivorian women to lead a company of this size in the oil downstream, joined SIR in 1991 after a banking career and built three decades of refining expertise there before taking the helm of SMB.

Nina Keïta Kamara, deputy managing director of GESTOCI, drives the development of new projects, the modernization of depots and partnerships with the hinterland countries.

Mireille Aka, commissioner general of SIREXE, is the driving force behind the show itself.

What to watch

A major trade show is judged by its results. Three indicators will be closely watched at the close on November 22: the value of contracts signed compared with 2024, the real place given to Ivorian SMEs in the agreements concluded, and concrete progress on infrastructure, from electricity to gas, on which the regional hub depends.

Abidjan, crossroads of a continent on the move

SIREXE 2026 goes beyond the scope of a national show. It embodies the ambition of a Côte d'Ivoire that wants to turn its resources into economic power, attract capital from around the world, and move its companies and talents up the value chain. See you from November 18 to 22 at the Parc des Expositions: Gisement will be there.