Funding and budgets for global mineral exploration in the past few years and continuous to be hit by corporate strategies and other global issues. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and increasing environmental, sustainability and social demands, it is imperative that the geology and mining sectors must adapt and innovate. The theme for the WAIMM Geology, Exploration, Drilling and Mining conference – GEM2026 is ” Next-Generation Exploration and Responsible Mining Towards a Resilient Resource Future: Integrating Geoscience and Technological Innovation in Exploration and Mining”. This theme emphasizes the integration of cutting-edge technologies and geoscience to promote sustainable practices, enhance exploration efficiency, and optimize resource extraction processes.
Big companies and junior exploration firms now have to find innovative ways to meet their reduced budgetary allocations and still discover a mineral deposit. Following the success of the GEM2024, WAIMM is putting together a thought process that will inform mining industry professionals and companies about current exploration and big development projects in the industry across the west African sub region as the world races to uncover the next giant mineral discovery.
The 2nd WAIMM Geology, Exploration, Drilling and Mining conference (GEM 2026), will be hosted by the WAMM on Tuesday, August 11-12, 2026 at the Lancaster Hotel Conference Hall in Accra, Ghana.
The GEM 2026 will bring mining, geology, exploration, drilling, technology and mine support services industry professionals and companies together to deliberate and discuss the opportunities in the industry amidst the current supply chain challenges, soaring gold and other commodity prices, tightening of budgets for exploration programs, and the ESG and sustainability framework.
The 2-day conference will also discuss the importance of harnessing technology and A1 to bridge gaps in data capture and other indices in order to accelerate the exploration and development of both green and brownfield mineral properties. Other areas to be discussed will include the industrial, critical and green minerals revolution, the latest development in industry practices and operations, innovation and technological solutions to solve industry challenges and knowledge sharing with experts and both local and international consultants.
The trend in mineral exploration activities and budgets in 2026 has increased tremendously compared to 2025 as a result of the soaring gold and other commodity prices. Now, there has been a slight increase in company funding exploration programs and there’s therefore the need to take advantage of the soaring metal prices and positive outlook of prices of several mineral commodities year to date and accelerate the exploration and subsequent development of discovered mineral deposits.
The objective of the GEM 2026 event is to ensure that industry professionals are exposed to the wholistic global exploration trends and analysis, to provide a platform for industry professionals to share technological innovation, best practices and advancements in geology and mining, discuss high end development projects, gain in-depth knowledge about the latest trends in technology and research, highlight the importance of community engagement and responsible practices in the mining sector, share ideas and knowledge on the diverse fields in the industry and to provide the platform for all stakeholders to understand the market dynamics and funding for exploration activities.
GEM 2026 Themes
The GEM2026 conference will feature industry leaders and experts in a packed program of key note presentations, discussing policies, operations, investment strategies, global exploration and commodity trends and industry sustainability.
The conference themes will include the following:
GEM 2026 Highlights
The event which will involve participation of both local and international mining will feature:
Who Attends GEM2026?
To register for GEMs2026 as a professional or a company, kindly send an email to events@waimm.org or reach out to the WAIMM office.