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Claim: Sinoe County Senator Crayton Duncan claims that Ivory Coast has no gold or iron ore.
Verdict: The claim is false. Data from the World Gold Council and Ivory Coast’s Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy show the country has both gold and iron ore deposits.
Full Text
Sinoe County Senator Crayton Duncan has claimed that Ivory Coast has no gold or iron ore.
“Ivory Coast does not have gold, does not have iron ore, they do not have forests that can bring logs. They do not have diamonds,” he said.
Senator Duncan made the claim during a citizen engagement program as he criticised Liberia’s underdevelopment despite its huge natural resources.
A civic platform, Liberian Intellects, provided live coverage of the senator’s engagement with citizens.
Senator Duncan claimed that despite Ivory Coast’s limited resources, the country is making significant economic and infrastructural progress compared to Liberia, a country endowed with abundant mineral resources.
DUBAWA decided to fact-check the claim as part of its mandate to counter misinformation and disinformation and also promote informed public discourse.
Verification
DUBAWA reviewed a June 2026 report from the World Gold Council, which states that Ivory Coast ranks 8th among the top 10 gold-producing countries in Africa, producing 59.2 tonnes of gold annually.
Data from the Ivory Coast Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy says mining production in Côte d’Ivoire is dominated by gold, with a 2023 gold production of 51 tonnes. It added that the country has about 600 tonnes of gold potential in the North, Central, West, and Southeast regions.
A World Bank report also estimated that 40 tonnes of gold, valued at more than $2 billion at 2022 prices, left the country illegally. A Reuters report also shows that Ivory Coast produced 58 tonnes of gold in 2024.
Data from the World Atlas also show that Ivory Coast has significant iron ore deposits, including Mount Klahoyo, where deposits were discovered in 1927. Another major deposit is located at Mount Nimba, which extends across Ivory Coast and Liberia.
Conclusion
Based on available data from multiple sources, including the World Bank, Senator Duncan’s claim is false and misleading.