Across West Africa’s rapidly evolving mining sector, proximity, responsiveness and technical depth have become decisive factors in supplier selection. For Weir, this has translated into a deliberate strategy of embedding people, expertise and service capability close to customers, ensuring solutions are not only technically advanced but effective in real operating conditions.

According to Weir regional manager for West Africa Andrew Ayirebi, the company has aligned its regional approach with the changing priorities of mine operators across Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and Ghana. Mining companies are under increasing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs and meet sustainability commitments, while maintaining reliable throughput in challenging and often remote environments.

In response, Weir has positioned itself as a long-term partner rather than a conventional equipment supplier. This approach is built on strong local engagement, application-specific engineering and a robust aftermarket offering, enabling equipment to deliver sustained value throughout its operating life.

Central to this strategy is Weir’s Enterprise Technology Roadmap, which guides innovation and product development around four priorities - moving less rock, using less energy, using water wisely and generating less waste. These principles are applied across the commodities commonly mined in West Africa including gold, bauxite, iron-ore and emerging battery minerals such as lithium.

Recognising that each mine presents unique challenges, Weir works closely with customers to configure solutions that address site-specific requirements. The company is also advancing its configured-to-order model, helping to reduce lead times, strengthen supply chain resilience and maintain the flexibility required by mining operations in the region.

A significant part of Weir’s contribution in West Africa lies in comminution, slurry transport, classification and dewatering - areas with a direct impact on energy consumption and operating costs. 

Grinding remains one of the most energy-intensive processes in mining, and Weir’s ENDURON high pressure grinding rolls (HPGRs) provide a proven alternative to traditional semi-autogenous grinding circuits. HPGR technology delivers substantial energy savings while improving downstream efficiency and circuit stability.

At an open-pit gold mine in the Côte d’Ivoire, Weir supplied HPGR technology to reduce energy consumption, lower grinding media usage and improve throughput consistency. The installation has achieved operating availability above 97% and is expected to deliver yearly energy savings of about $2.6-million, while avoiding an estimated 18 500 t/y of CO2 emissions. This demonstrates how operational efficiency and sustainability objectives can be achieved simultaneously.

Beyond comminution, Weir’s engineered pumping and slurry handling solutions play a critical role in improving plant performance. WRT wear parts for WARMAN pumps help reduce energy consumption and waste, while GEHO positive displacement pumps enable efficient transport of high density slurries over long distances with lower energy input. In classification, Weir’s solutions ensure accurate particle size control, supporting improved recovery and reduced reprocessing.

Digital capability is increasingly embedded across these solutions. Through its NEXT intelligent solutions platform, Weir provides real-time visibility into equipment condition and performance, enabling predictive maintenance, improved planning and reduced unplanned downtime. This data-driven approach allows mining operations to extract greater value from installed assets while improving overall plant reliability.

Supporting this level of engagement requires a strong regional service footprint. Weir has invested consistently in building local technical capacity in line with the growing emphasis on localisation across the West African mining sector. 

Operations in Ghana and Senegal are fully managed by local teams, supported by active service capability in Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria. Regular site visits, rapid response and strong aftermarket support help customers avoid costly shutdowns and maintain production continuity.

People development underpins this model. Weir invests in training and skills development to ensure its teams reflect the communities in which they operate, reinforcing its commitment to equality, inclusion and diversity.

As West Africa’s mining sector continues to grow, Weir remains focused on delivering sustainable performance through local expertise, advanced technology and long-term partnerships.