Dr. Yacouba Diarra

Chairman Côte d'Ivoire Chamber of Mines

Dr. Yacouba DIARRA is a seasoned mining executive with over 20 years of experience in mineral exploration, mine development, and sector governance in West Africa. He holds a PhD in Economic and Environmental Geology from the National Polytechnic Institute Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB), as well as a Specialized Master’s degree in Mining Administration (Mining Economics and Project Law) from Mines Paris. He began his career in 1998 as a field geologist at Société Africaine des Mines and later expanded his expertise in Burkina Faso, contributing to the reserve evaluation of the Poura Mine with Ingénierie Afrique. From 2004 to 2007, he served as an Exploration Geologist Engineer at Resolute Mining Ltd in Mali, where he led advanced exploration work at the Syama Mine. In 2007, Dr. Diarra joined Occidental Gold (Perseus Mining) in Côte d’Ivoire as an Exploration Project Manager, playing a key role in the development of major mining projects. He rose through the ranks to become Managing Director of Perseus Mining Côte d’Ivoire. Recognized for his leadership, he received the 2022 Good Governance Award for Best Mining Sector Manager in Côte d’Ivoire and was elected in 2025, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Professionnal Group of Miners of Côte d’Ivoire (GPMCI) known as Chamber of Mines.