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15.05.2012 Press Release

New Frontiers: West & Central Africa's Mineral Rush

15.05.2012 LISTEN
By Magenta Global Pte Ltd

1. Singapore, 11 May 2012 – African mining industry officials and their private sector counterparts will be gathering in Accra, Ghana from 11-12 September for the 5th West & Central Africa Mining Summit 2012. This Summit underscores the strong interest in West & Central Africa mining potential.

2. Africa's booming mining industry has witnessed a particular concentration on its occidental side, with 107 mines currently operating in West Africa. By comparison, Eastern Sub-Sahara Africa has 69 active mines, Southern Africa has 49 and Western Sub-Saharan Africa has 39.

3. Opportunities to be tapped in this high-growth mining district are evidenced by these regional facts: Burkina Faso has attracted 17 mining operators, extracting mostly gold resources; Ghana is the 2nd largest producer of gold in Sub-Saharan Africa, and is also the latest African commodity producer to revise taxes and royalties after commodity prices sky-rocketed; Niger's minerals portfolio comprises some of the world's most prized minerals (gold, uranium); Sierra Leone is still under-explored despite the "richness" in minerals, including gold, diamonds, quartz and uranium; Nigeria is back on the mining map with current exploration results indicating over a trillion tons of coal and rare earth metals such as lanthanum, cerium, neodymin and yttrium, as well as oil sands; Gabon manganese production is expected to reach 5.1 million tonnes in 2012, comparing to 2 million tonnes in 2009; and Liberia has itself seen significant iron ore deposit discovery.

4. The 2012 Conference will provide updates and exploration opportunities in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Guinea and more, while new country-specific focus will be Mali, Mauritania, Gabon, Congo and Cameroon. The two-day information packed event will also feature dedicated sessions focusing on specific commodities such as copper, gold, iron, nickel and platinum, as well as discussion on raising capital & partnerships for exploration and expansion.

5. More than 300 government & business executives from 30 countries are expected to convene in Accra to discuss opportunities & strategise collaboration & partnerships.

6. The 2012 Exhibition will be extended to provide space for 60 companies to showcase their project highlights, products innovation and service competencies. Exhibitors include global industrial equipment experts Atlas Copco, borehole logging specialists Robertson Geologging Ltd, and x-ray fluorescence instrumentation providers Innov-X Africa.

7. The Event is endorsed by the Ghana Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ghana Minerals Commission, and the Ghana Chamber of Mines.

8. The CEO of the conference organizing company, Magenta Global Pte Ltd, Singapore, Ms Maggie Tan, said: “This Summit puts the spotlight on the tremendous potential of West & Central Africa mining economies . Investments into this sector will play a huge role in generating revenue, employment and sustainable economic and social developments. The Summit will facilitate the exchange of fresh information, experience and knowledge towards achieving the objectives of delivering sustainable mining projects. More importantly, the networking and partnership momentum will be an invaluable experience” Ms Tan encouraged companies, organizations, businesses and governments that share Magenta's vision for the future of sustainable mining to be part of this key event.

9. The event will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre.

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