On February 2, 2026, Madagascar ended a 16‑year moratorium on most mining permits, excluding gold, which remains restricted.
The move allows authorities to process 1,650–3,000 pending permit applications and aims to revive the mining sector.
Madagascar has strategic minerals (nickel, cobalt, graphite, ilmenite). The Ambatovy project (nickel-cobalt) is the largest foreign investment, costing over $8 billion.
